Black Rain
by Independence Undervalued
Summary: Months have passed since the gang lost their friends and Two-Bit Mathews is slowly drifting away from his old life. Turns out, he's not the only one in Tulsa struggling with past demons. With the help of a new friend, Two-Bit slowly sees things turn around. But when things get worse at home, he finds himself making a deal with the devil. Just how much is it going to cost him?
1. In the Crypt

**A/N: **Hello, hello. A massive "Thank you" has to go to **A Sideways Smile** and **FeistyFeist** for giving me some amazing advice and really helping me get my thoughts on track. I can't even begin to thank them for taking time to help me work on improving my writing skills. It was much more than I could have asked for and was greatly appreciated.

I'm so excited to get this story started, so let's just get right to it.

**Disclaimer: **S.E. Hinton owns _The Outsiders_ and Three Days Grace own the song "Chalk Outline".

* * *

_You keep coming back to the scene of the crime,  
B__ut the dead can't speak and there's nothing left to say anyway.  
All you left behind is a chalk outline._

_I've been cold, in the crypt._  
_But not as the cold as the words across your lips._  
_You'll be sorry baby, some day._

Chapter One

He just couldn't keep his fucking mouth shut.

Swinging powerfully, Two-Bit Mathews grunted in satisfaction as he landed another blow to the scrawny, rat-faced guy fighting with him. His fists hammed into his opponent's torso, over and over. He felt a surge of satisfaction following every dull thud. The hits that came his way were few and far between. It wasn't like any of them hurt much. This kid didn't have any power behind his hits and Ratface was fighting Two-Bit when he was in a rage. He didn't stand a chance.

"Hey, enough! C'mon, break it up you assholes." Buck's nasally drawl signaled his arrival and before too long, Two-Bit felt himself pulled off of the pussy fighting him.

"You fucked up my nose, man," the kid whined, spitting blood in Two-Bit's direction.

He laughed darkly and shook his head. "Man, you came in lookin' just as ugly as you're leavin'. Ain't my fault. Blame your old lady for makin' such a nasty little fucker."

The kid lunged at him and Two-Bit threw his head back and laughed loudly, watching Ratface struggling against Buck and some other kid holding him back. Let him come at me, he thought. He should have knocked out a few teeth, too. For a weedy-looking kid, he sure had one big mouth.

Two-Bit flipped Ratface the bird and headed for the road, stuffing his bruised fists into his pockets. That dumbass had made one too many wisecracks. He'd gotten himself plowed and then started talking real big for a real small guy. Two-Bit just laughed most of it off, sipping his beer along with the other guys at the table. And then Ratface crossed the line. That invisible line that had appeared just months before and had yet to fade.

The kid had taken a shot at Dally. His buddy hadn't been dead more than six months and here comes this wise-ass, talking big and not thinking about who was listening. So, Two-Bit shut him up. Smirking, he kicked angrily at a small rock on the ground and knew perfectly well that he would do it a thousand times over.

That dumb fuck had made a wisecrack about "some no good JD" getting himself shot up by the cops. Two-Bit felt his fists tighten around the cards in his hands, but he kept his cool. He waited and Ratface obliged. He just kept going and Two-Bit waited for him to step over that fine line between talking shit and getting his ass kicked.

"And this kid was a real nobody, I mean _nobody_. Best decision of his life he ever made, callin' them cops out that night. What an idiot!"

And that's when he threw the first punch. The other guys started hollering about their poker game getting screwed up, but Two-Bit couldn't care less about the damn game. He wanted to wring Ratface's neck, but Buck seemed to have other plans. A snicker escaped his lips at the thought of the greasy cowboy and he shook his head. Buck Merrill sure picked some shitty times to play hero and that night was one of them.

As Two-Bit took a breath, he caught a hint of that coppery smell that came from blood and felt his stomach flip. Ever since he'd been a kid, the smell of blood had made him sick. He didn't mind dishing it out and he certainly didn't mind taking a hit, but to have to smell it was one of the worst things he could imagine. He spat into the street and swiped at his face, trying to get rid of the source of the smell.

From behind him, an approaching car flashed its headlights and Two-Bit turned, squinting, to see who was behind the wheel, still feeling himself tense in anticipation of an oncoming fight. He hadn't quite adjusted to the peace that had fallen between Soc and greaser since his buddies had died. When the car finally rolled to a stop, Steve Randle poked his head out of the driver's window and whistled slowly at his friend.

"Man, you look like shit."

Two-Bit grinned, darkly. "You oughta see the other guy."

Steve shook his head and hollered, "Yeah, I bet. Get in, you bum."

He didn't wait for further prompting and climbed in Steve's car, lighting up as he sank into the seat. Steve grimaced and mumbled something about not getting any ashes in the car and Two-Bit smirked again.

"I'll be careful, sweetheart."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. So why were you fightin' _this_ guy? Lemme guess, he stole your beer."

Glaring at his friend, Two-Bit tapped the end of his cigarette and watched the end drop to the floor of the clean car.

"For your information he was talkin' shit. So I straightened 'im out. I'm hopin' I knocked out a few teeth, too."

Steve wiped his face and shot Two-Bit a frustrated look. "Jesus, Two. Why didn't you just break his neck and get it over with?"

"Don't think it didn't cross my mind," he replied, staring somberly out of the window.

Things with his friends had been different since Dally and Johnny died. While they didn't have the Soc's to worry about anymore, they also didn't have very many people left to hold on to. Two-Bit knew he was the odd man out in their small group and he also know that his attitude wasn't helping endear him to his friends at all. To put it bluntly, he was a royal pain in the ass.

Steve didn't seem to mind as much as Soda or Darry did, so Two-Bit usually found himself bumming around with him. There wasn't as much laughing as there used to be, but he liked Steve. They were very different, but for some reason they had a good friendship. Two-Bit wasn't asking any questions. He was just glad to still have someone to turn to.

"So where were you headed to? Gettin' kinda late for you to be out and around, Stevie."

"Shut up. I was headin' to the Curtis'. You want me to drop you at home or you gonna come with me?"

He grunted and sank lower in the seat. "I'll come along. Thanks for the invite."

Steve muttered quiet _Sorry_ and focused on driving. Two-Bit simply nodded and turned away from his friend, staring out at the passing scenery. Even though they hadn't meant for it to happen, things with the gang were just different. Everyone had sort of realigned themselves and Two-Bit found himself on the outside looking in. The fact that Steve even had to ask him if he wanted to come along just proved it and Two-Bit felt his bad mood worsen.

Things were so tentative within his group of friends and Two-Bit knew his sourness wasn't helping the case. So, between Buck's and their house, he focused on dragging himself out of the dark slump he was in. He had to at least try, though he wasn't sure it was really worth it anymore.

XxX

Five minutes later they were pulling up to the curb in front of the Curtis' house and Two-Bit was feeling considerably better. He'd cranked up Steve's radio, something that never failed to irritate his friend, and was howling along with the music. Steve eventually stopped grumbling and ended up smirking the whole ride home, tapping his fingers along with the beat. Things were looking up and Two-Bit was determined to keep it that way when he saw his friends. They were the same guys he always used to bum around with. Nothing had changed.

Two-Bit slammed the car door shut with a broad grin, relishing every button he knew to push to get on Steve's nerves. His buddy just shook his head and chuckled slowly.

"I oughta skin you, Two-Bit. I really should."

"C'mon, Stevie! Take your best shot," he offered, prancing around like a boxer in a ring.

Steve waved him off and shoved past him instead. "Nah, if I hit ya too hard you might fall on me. And we both know with your fat ass that could be lethal."

Two-Bit laughed loudly and raced up the steps, sticking a foot out to try and trip Steve up. "Whatever, man. You wish you looked as good as me."

He snorted and the two of them walked inside, still laughing to themselves. Steve clapped him on the back before heading to the kitchen table where Soda had the cards all laid out and waiting. It looked like they were on for a poker rematch. Two-Bit raised his hand in greeting and Soda smiled and waved back.

"How ya doin', Two? You look like shit, man."

Groaning, he replied, "Yeah, I know, I know. Stevie there already mentioned that."

Steve grinned back at him, stealthily trying to swap his cards with Soda's. Two-Bit laughed at him as he was caught red-handed. He was never the good pickpocket in the group.

Darry smiled from his place in his recliner. "Hey, there Two. Have a seat. Get comfortable. Pone an' I are just watchin' some TV."

He nodded his thanks and plopped down on the couch, sending Ponyboy curling up to keep from being sat on, throwing his friend a dirty look. Two-Bit just grinned back at him and patted Pony's leg a bit harder than necessary.

"Glad to see me, Pone?"

"Yeah, sure. Real glad, Two-Bit," he mumbled, rolling his eyes before a small smirk appeared. "Hey, anybody tell you lately that you –"

"Kid, you tell me I look like shit and I really will sit on you."

"Hey, you two play nice," Darry intoned, not taking his eyes off of the TV screen.

Two-Bit rolled his eyes and shifted away from Ponyboy, turning to see what they were watching. Of course. Some sports game. Typical, he thought with a grin.

"Ya know, I can sum up what's gonna happen here," Two-Bit offered, gesturing towards the television. "One guy's gonna throw the football, another guy's gonna catch the football, and a whole bunch of 'em are gonna catch the guy that caught it. Oh, and one of the teams will win."

Pony shot him a serious look and shook his head. "Shut up, Two-Bit. It's a good game!"

"Yeah, yeah."

After a few minutes of intense football watching, Two-Bit grew restless. Shoving off of the couch, he headed into the kitchen to grab himself a beer, slapping Steve's head in the process. Soda cracked up and while Steve was distracted, Two-Bit saw him reach over and swipe some cards. Gotta watch out for him when we play cards from now on, he thought wryly.

Two-Bit sat backwards in his chair and watched the game closely, snickering as Steve realized he was losing. "Bad hand there, Steve?"

"It wasn't this shitty before," he grumbled, giving Soda a piercing look. "You swapped out the cards, didn't you?"

Soda burst into cheery laughter and held his hands up. "Hey, man, I dunno what you're talkin' about. Don't be such a sore loser, Stevie."

"Sore loser my ass, you cheated!"

"I ain't no cheater!"

By now the two were hollering at each other, but Two-Bit knew it was all in good nature. They had always been like that with one another. He laughed deeply as Steve shoved the cards aside and slammed his elbow on the table.

"C'mon then and prove it!"

"How's arm wrestlin' gonna prove he ain't a cheat? Hm? Don't seem too smart to me. Ya know, maybe there's a reason your head's so greasy. All your brain's leakin' out makes it awful slick," Two-Bit cracked, smirking as Steve threw a handful of cards in his direction.

Soda, caught up in the competition, grabbed Steve's arm tightly and engaged him in the ritualistic arm wrestling match. The two of them had to get into one of these matches at least five times every week. They were both too damn competitive for their own goods.

With Steve and Soda's attention focused on the struggle at hand, Two-Bit felt himself slip into that awkward, uneasy feeling he'd come to know. The two at the table and the two at the television just went to prove the new division in their gang and as always, Two-Bit fell through the giant crack in the middle. There was a connection between all of them, except for him. There never had been that link the rest of them had.

The obvious was between Darry, Soda, and Pony. Sure they fought like nobody's business half of the time, but they were brothers and at the end of the day, there wasn't a stronger bond than that. And then you had Steve, Soda's best friend since preschool. Nothing had come between them so far and Two-Bit was willing to bet a million dollars that nothing ever would. And then there was him.

Shrugging from the sudden chill running down his spine, Two-Bit got up and shoved his chair under the table. Neither Steve nor Soda looked up from their fight and Darry was too engrossed in the football game to notice him heading for the door. The only person that caught his attention was Ponyboy, watching him silently as he grabbed his jacket.

Two-Bit stared at him for a minute, waiting for the kid to ask him why he was leaving, or ask him anything for that matter. Instead, Ponyboy just turned back to the game without a word. Shit kid, why don't you tell me how you really feel, he thought irritably.

"No, that's okay. I'll walk home," he grumbled, slamming the door behind him as he left.

No one looked up.

XxX

Two-Bit closed the front door of his own house behind him and cringed away from the loudness of it. The house was so quiet that any noise made was magnified even more. Bonnie glanced up from her papers spread out on the kitchen table, but resumed working when she saw it was only him, her red curls hiding her face from view.

"Where's Ma at?"

She shrugged and pointed her pencil down the hall. "Probably in her room. You know how she's been lately."

He nodded and tossed his bag on the floor. Heading to the kitchen, Two-Bit grabbed himself a beer and the half of a sandwich on a plate. Bonnie always had something ready for him these days. She was a good kid, he thought with a smile. As he walked past her, he ruffled her hair affectionately. Bonnie groaned and smoothed it back into place.

"Two-Bit! It finally looked good today, too."

"Ah, who're you tryin' to impress anyways? Ain't no boyfriend, is there," he questioned, wagging his eyebrows suggestively.

She grinned and shoved him away, "No! There ain't no boy. Just go away!"

"Uh huh, I seen that look before," he said, pointing his beer at her. "What's his name? I'll look 'im up."

"He doesn't have a name 'cause he doesn't exist! Honest, Two." She gave him that exasperated look he earned from her so often and he had to laugh at her.

"Alright, alright. You just keep your mind on them books and nothin' else. You read me?"

She mock saluted him with a grin. "Yes, sir."

Two-Bit pointed sternly at her and then made his way down the dark hall. His mother's room was closed, but he could see the light on under the door. He knocked gently and listened, waiting for her reply.

"C'mon in, Two." Even from the other side of the door, Two-Bit could hear how defeated she sounded.

That was never a good sign.

Pushing the door open, he poked his head in and smiled at his mother. She offered him a weary smile in return and patted the bed beside her for him to sit. Two-Bit walked over and joined her, taking in her appearance and making a mental note to start helping around the house more. She just looked so damn tired. Her hair was back in the same style it always was, but wisps were falling around her face and there were more and more streaks of gray. Her eyes still had a hint of light behind them, but the old spark seemed to have faded. She looked crushed.

"Ma, what's wrong?"

She patted his hand gently. "Oh, I'm just fine, baby. I'm tired, that's all."

"C'mon, Ma. What is it," he urged.

"Keith, honey, nothin' is wrong. I am jus' fine. Now what about you, hm? Where'd these come from?" She traced over the fresh cuts on his knuckles and he pulled away from her.

"Oh, that's nothin'. Just messin' around, is all."

Virginia gave her son a knowing look and he realized he'd just given her the same answer she'd fed him. Two-Bit had to smile at her and Ginny shook her head, but smiled back.

With a final pat, she stood up and walked over to her dresser. "There's an ice pack in the freezer. You might wanna put it on that eye before it gets too red."

"Thanks, Ma." He stood up and put a hand on the door, hesitating. "You know, if you need anything at all … I can help out more, you know. Maybe try an' get a job or somethin'."

"Oh, honey," she replied, actually laughing a bit now. "I know you're serious now, offering to get a job. If I need help, I promise I'll let you know. Okay?"

He nodded and opened the door. "Yeah, okay, Mama."

Two-Bit went into the kitchen and grabbed the ice pack his mother mentioned before making his way back out to the living room. He collapsed on the couch, turning the TV on quietly so he didn't disturb his sister, and threw the ice on his eye, sighing from the cool relief that settled over him. The two Mathews' were silent for a while, Two-Bit just relaxing and Bonnie working on whatever homework she had to do. The quiet began lulling him to sleep and Two-Bit felt himself drifting further and further away.

His head dropped to his chest and he awoke with a snort as the couch shifted, Bonnie coming to sit with him. Rubbing his eyes groggily, Two-Bit tried to force himself awake. As he looked at his younger sister's face, he could see the concern plain as day. That was enough for him to focus on and Two-Bit sat up, facing her directly.

"What's up, Bonnie?"

"She's not okay, is she?" Her voice was quiet, but clear and Two-Bit knew she was a lot more aware of things than he gave her credit for being.

Two-Bit drew Bonnie to him and hugged her firmly. "She's just tired, Bon. Ma's got a lot of worries, you know? She worries about you and you gettin' a good education. She worries 'bout me and all the trouble I been gettin' in. We just gotta make it a little easier for her, okay? But she's fine."

Bonnie pulled back and looked at him seriously, searching his face intensely as she did so. Two-Bit smirked a bit at her and tugged one of her curls.

"I promise, Bonnie. We're fine. There's nothin' you need to worry about. I'm gonna help out more and you just keep bein' the good kid you are. We're gonna be just fine. Don't worry, okay? Promise?"

She cocked an eyebrow in a perfect imitation of himself and nodded slowly. "Alright, I won't. I promise."

His sister shoved off from the couch and slapped him lightly on the head as she passed him, grinning the entire time. Two-Bit threw his ice pack at her, but she caught it neatly and replaced it in the freezer. That girl had learned a lot from him over the years and Two-Bit was starting to see some of it catching up to him. He grinned at the thought and got up from the couch, turning the TV set and the lamps off.

Bonnie gave him a hug and a peck on the cheek. "G'night, Two-Bit."

"Night, Bon. Sweet dreams."

He watched as she hurried down the hall and shut her door quietly. Two-Bit went to his own room, but hesitated before closing the door. He stared at his mother's room for a moment, a strange guilt nagging at the back of his mind. Two-Bit sighed and left his door cracked, just in case.

Two-Bit promised Bonnie that nothing would happen and that everything would be fine. He was determined to keep that promise and make sure that, even if nothing else went right, things at home would be okay.

They had to be.

* * *

**A/N: **Let me know what you're thinking because this is going to be quite different than some of my other stories. Not to mention, I've had an awful day so reviews would mean the world. This is the only chapter I have written so far, but I was anxious to see the response to it, so don't count on regular updates quite yet. Thanks for reading(:


	2. Slip This Skin

**A/N: **Your patience is so appreciated, but updates still probably won't be too regular yet. Many thanks.

**Disclaimer: **S.E. Hinton owns _The Outsiders_ and Bruce Springsteen owns the song "Streets of Philadelphia".

* * *

_I walked the avenue, 'til my legs felt like stone.  
I heard the voices of friends vanished and gone,  
At night I could hear the blood in my veins,_

_Black and whispering as the rain…  
Ain't no angel gonna greet me.  
It's just you and I my friend._

Chapter Two

Two-Bit sat at the lunch table waiting for his friends to come along when he saw her. She hurried across the basketball court, her hips swinging from side to side the way he'd always loved. This time she wasn't walking to him, though. He watched as she hurried across the playground to the waiting car, its engine revving anxiously. Probably that prick she's dating now, he thought grimly.

Kathy had left him about two months after Dally and Johnny died and within another month, she'd moved in with some guy who'd graduated a couple of years before. It was the talk of the town when she moved in with none other than Hank Colbert, son of the mayor, and a pleasant seven years older than her. Two-Bit had laughed at the notion, figuring in a week tops she'd be back on his porch, bawling her eyes out and saying it was a terrible mistake.

Boy, had he been wrong.

A hand clapped firmly on his back and shook him out of his thoughts. Steve collapsed into the seat next to him as Mac Slocum and Rodney Hanks sat across from them. Two-Bit had been in class with Mac since kindergarten, so the two of them had been good friends for a long time. He kicked his legs out, smirking as he nailed his friend in the shin. It was nice to have friends outside of the gang that he could turn to.

"Watch them big feet, Two. Might have to cut 'em off," Mac grumbled, his signature smile in place.

"You know what they say about guys with big feet, right buddy?"

Mac threw a fry at him and Two-Bit flicked his straw wrapped back. Felt damn good to relax, he thought with a grin. Even if it was at school.

"So you have a chance to look at my car yet," Rodney was asking Steve, smoking slowly.

Steve nodded and took a giant bite of his burger. "Yeah, somefink in da engern is loomf."

Two-Bit and Mac burst into loud laughs. "Hey man, you ever heard you ain't supposed to talk with your mouth full?"

His friend swallowed thickly and smirked at them. "Manners ain't exactly my thing, man." He turned back to Rod and added, "Somethin' in your engine sounds loose. Me 'nd Sodapop can fix it up this weekend for ya."

"Great, man."

"Speakin' of plans, what's everybody got goin' on Friday night," Two-Bit asked, slurping some of his milkshake.

"I was thinkin' of hittin' the movies. Got that new gang movie that's out. Heard it's pretty boss." Mac answered before shoving the rest of his burger into his mouth in one, giant bite.

Steve shrugged. "Yeah, the movies could be good. Might bring Evie along though. She's been bitchin' that I ain't spendin' enough time with her."

"Man, them broads are only good for one thing, huh?" Mac offered him a wolfish grin and the other guys had to laugh.

"You can say that again, my friend," Two-Bit agreed, tipping his drink in Mac's direction.

Rodney tossed his garbage towards the trash can and lit up a cigarette. "Yeah, I'm in. I'll meet you guys up there around seven. So, are we bringin' the girls?"

"Well me and Mac here ain't exactly got ladies to bring," Two-Bit pointed out, nudging Mac with his elbow.

Steve cut across him and nodded. "Yeah, might as well. Gotta make 'em happy somehow. You guys in?"

Two-Bit sighed, but nodded anyways. That's how things had been lately for him – they would have plans and somehow, he would get shafted. Whether it was for some "better" friends or for some girls, Two-Bit was always on the outs. He'd hoped that they would just have their guys' night, but he also knew Steve was trying really hard to keep Evie happy. Guess I just can't win, he thought miserably.

Mac noticed his disposition and punched his arm. "Hey, c'mon man. We don't need no broads to have a good time. 'S a matter of fact, we'll have more fun without one. We can go home with whoever we want to."

"You're damn right we can," Two-Bit muttered, a smile spreading anyways.

Shit, he could ball the hottest girl there if he felt like it. He didn't need some girl hanging on his arm to make him happy. Not anymore. Mac was right about that much and he wasn't going to let a bitch like Kathy fuck up the rest of his fun. He deserved some fun.

Ponyboy walked across the lunch room with a friend, the two of them chatting animatedly. Two-Bit waved his arm and whistled loudly, catching Pony's attention.

"Over here, Pone!"

He watched as his friend parted with his companion and headed over in their direction. Two-Bit was never sure anymore, but he felt like he saw disdain in Ponyboy's gaze more and more frequently. It was like the kid couldn't stand him these days and other than the obvious attitude problem, Two-Bit really didn't know why.

"What's up, guys?" Ponyboy greeted the guys in turn, nodding briefly to Two-Bit last.

"We were plannin' on hittin' the movies on Friday. You wanna come along?"

"I'm sure Soda will end up goin'," Steve added, throwing away the rest of his lunch.

Ponyboy thought it over for a minute and shrugged. "Sure, why not."

Two-Bit grinned and clapped him on his back. "Great, man! It'll be a good time."

Ponyboy offered him a smile that Two-Bit didn't quite like before walking away with a wave. It wasn't until his friend was out of sight and the bell rang to signal the end of lunch that Two-Bit could identify that smile and why he hated it.

It had been filled with pity.

XxX

Laying his cards out with a smile, Two-Bit pulled the money on the table towards him and away from the scowling guys sitting with him. Mac had lost nearly a hundred bucks in just a few hands of poker and Soda wasn't too far behind him. It seemed that Two-Bit had hit a lucky streak and he was taking full advantage of it.

"Man, that was my last paycheck," Soda grumbled, sullenly watching Two-Bit as he scooped up his winnings.

"Sorry, my friend," Two-Bit replied honestly. "That's the way the cards fell."

Mac shook his head and leaned back in his chair, sighing deeply. "Shit. Two-Bit you swear you ain't cheatin'?"

"You know I don't cheat, buddy."

His bright blue eyes, eerily reminiscent of Dally's, flashed dangerously and Two-Bit saw the rare, lethal side of his friend jump forward. A leer spread across Mac's lips and he leaned forward slowly, whispering as he did so.

"You're damn right. 'Cause if you did, I might have to kick your ass."

"Nah," Soda answered wearily. "He ain't cheatin'. We just suck at poker, Mac."

The friendly, laid-back Mac reappeared and laughed genially. "Yeah, I guess you're right there, Soda. Maybe next round?"

"No way! No next round for me." Soda shoved back from the table with a grin and thumbed towards the bar. "I'm off for a stiff drink. Catch you boys later."

Two-Bit nodded and watched his friend slide into the seat, two girls appearing at his side instantly. That boy was a damn magnet, he thought, smirking. Turning his attention back to the table, Two-Bit studied Mac carefully as his friend shuffled the deck thoroughly.

Mac was a fairly popular guy at school, especially when it came to the ladies. He was pretty average looking, but there was a sense of danger that seemed to draw them in. He had a loud laugh and a contagious smile, but Two-Bit had seen him turn on a dime and go from the happy-go-lucky friend to a dead serious fighter. It was a side of him Two-Bit didn't particularly like, but it was so rare that he saw it, Two often forgot it existed.

"Hey, sorry 'bout that, man," Mac sighed, rubbing his head. "I didn't mean to go ape shit on ya. I'm so damn tired. My sister's kid's been cryin' all damn night and no one's getting any sleep around my place. No excuse, but I'm just tired I guess."

Smiling sympathetically, Two-Bit divided out Mac's share of the money and slid it towards him on the table. "It's all good, man. Here. Why don't you keep this and buy your sister her own place?"

Mac's signature laugh burst forward and Two-Bit found himself joining in. It was damn hard not to laugh along with him. Mac shook his head and pushed the money back towards Two-Bit.

"Thanks, Two. Really. But you keep it. You won it fair and square and the next time we play, I'm gonna win all of that back and then some. It'll be a sweeter victory if you ain't handin' it over."

"Alright, if you say so." Two-Bit stuffed the cash in his pocket and raised his beer. "Good game, my friend."

Raising his beer to Two-Bit's, Mac nodded. "Good game. Though I still think you're a rotten cheat."

XxX

When Friday night came, the guys were heading out to the movies, Ponyboy and Mac riding in Two-Bit's beater. He hit a bump in the road, jostling his passengers and Two-Bit let out a laugh at the look on Mac's face. His friend looked purely terrified.

"Shit, Two-Bit! I wanna get to the movies alive, man."

"Shouldn't have ridden with Lead Foot here," Ponyboy quipped, pointing in Two-Bit's direction. "This one here has the worst traffic record of anybody I know. Not to mention this old piece of tin he drives around."

"Hey, now," Two-Bit intercepted, turning slightly in his seat. "Don't you insult Lorraine."

Ponyboy burst into cheery laughter and Two-Bit had to grin, even though he knew that the kid was laughing at him. It still felt good to have him showing an emotion other than pity around him.

"What kind of name is _Lorraine_ for a car, man?"

"It's a sexy name, that's what. You just hush up, Ponyboy! You ain't even got wheels yet, so don't be harpin' on mine."

Mac laughed heartily in the seat next to him and offered Ponyboy an extended hand. "Put 'er there, kid. You're alright, you know that?"

"Thanks, man. Why do you hang around with this bum, anyhow?"

"Well, he ain't so bad once ya get used to him," Mac answered, grinning in Two-Bit's direction. "Not to mention, I've put in too many years breakin' him in. It'd take too long to get another best buddy in shape."

Two-Bit held up a hand and added, "And before you comment on that one, I _am_ in shape. So you just forget that smart ass comment, Ponyboy Curtis."

He looked in the rearview mirror and was pleased to see Ponyboy stick his tongue out at him, laughing the entire time. Things felt normal and Two-Bit was keen on keeping them that way. Even though the other guys were bringing dates, he was going to have a great time with his friends regardless of what happened.

As they pulled into the drive-in, Two-Bit scanned the rows of cars for Steve's familiar ride. Seeing his friend a couple of rows away, Two-Bit pulled his beater in nearby and parked, his friends clambering out and laughing at Lorraine's groaning as she shut down. He patted her hood affectionately and glared at Ponyboy.

"Don't you laugh at her! She may not start if she hears too much of that."

Ponyboy chuckled and shook his head. "Whatever, man. You really oughta find a car worth loving as much as you do that one."

Mac wrapped his arm around Ponyboy's neck and rubbed his head firmly with his knuckles. "Hey wise guy, lay off the wheels!"

"Yeah, you just wait til you get your first car. I ain't ever gonna say anything nice about it," Two-Bit quipped, grinning anyways.

As they approached their friends, Two-Bit felt his stomach clench just watching the couples in front of him. Steve and Evie were inseparable and everyone knew that eventually, they'd get hitched. She had Steve wrapped around her little finger and they all knew it. Two-Bit used to think they were a great couple, one he even looked to for guidance when he was fucking up with Kathy. Now that she was gone, though, he just found them disgusting. They were so perfect together it made him want to puke.

At the same time, he couldn't be too mad at them. They were his best friends and out of the people in the gang, they were the ones that had been there for him no matter what. Evie had listened to him rant drunkenly over Kathy for a week when they broke up, never once complaining. They were good friends and even though he wished he could have what they did, he was genuinely happy for them.

"Hey there, Two-Bit," Evie called, her face brightening in a smile. "How's it goin' tonight?"

Two-Bit shrugged and offered her a smile. "Well, I'm here. We'll see what happens."

She offered him an understanding smile and nodded. "You'll have fun, Two."

"Thanks, Eve."

With a gentle squeeze of his arm, Evie headed back over to where Steve was chatting with Soda and Rodney, the three of them looking proud with their girls on their arm. Two-Bit was glad to see Soda out in the dating world again. He knew how hard it had been for his friend after that Sandy had messed him up so bad.

The group headed for some seats, the single guys heading for some seats down front while the couples paired off on their own and made their way to the back row. Two-Bit grinned and whistled wolfishly as he passed Steve, earning himself a firm thump on the back of the head. Good ole Stevie, he thought wryly.

Two-Bit settled deep into his seat and lit up, offering his pack to Ponyboy and then Mac in turn. The movie playing seemed better than Two-Bit thought and for a while, he found himself completely absorbed in the violent gun fights and screams of terror on screen. Mac nudged him in the side sharply, drawing him out of his silence.

"What?"

"Ain't that Brumly up there?"

Glancing up, Two-Bit saw that Mac was right. A cluster of guys had gathered closer to the screen, off in the darker shadows of the drive-in. Two-Bit could see the Brumly brothers with their pack surrounding them and he watched as the group confronted another smaller group of boys. As he watched, Glenn, the oldest Brumly, stepped forward and collared the guy in front of him roughly, dragging him up onto the tips of his toes. Gary, the younger of the two, stood back with a wily grin, his hands twitching near his sides as he waited for his moment to strike.

"Looks like a real life show, man," Mac whispered, a grin on his face.

His friend was always itching for a good fight and when one broke out, it was almost guaranteed you'd find him right in the middle of it. Two-Bit shook his head, but had to grin back.

"Guess so. I wonder what they're fightin' about these days. Ain't like they got turf wars anymore."

Mac shrugged and tossed some popcorn at a couple in the front row. "Well, not between Soc and greaser. But you figure them gangs, all they got is each other for competition now. It can get pretty ugly, from what I've heard."

Two-Bit nodded slowly and looked back to where the gangs had been arguing, the scrum now gaining magnitude. The rest of the Brumly guys were holding the growing crowd at bay, but Two-Bit could see it would get out of hand before too long. He felt his adrenaline start to pump even from his seat, safely out of reach. Something about a fight would feel good and he knew it. Ever since their buddies had died, Two-Bit found himself never turning down the opportunity to duke it out with anyone at all.

Next to him, Ponyboy sighed and shook his head. His friend had finally been distracted from his intense movie watching by the fight and Two-Bit knew exactly what was on his mind.

"What scum, huh?"

Ponyboy nodded and sipped thoughtfully on his soda. "I just don't get it, man. Fighting ain't gonna solve anything. Why do they keep on goin' at it? They can't be that stupid."

Two-Bit snorted and rubbed Pony's head affectionately. "Don't be so sure of that, kiddo. Them Brumly's ain't got no lights on upstairs, if you catch my drift."

"They have to have some brains," Mac pointed out, the fight finally being broken up by security. "You oughta see the money them boys have. The cars they drive are boss, man. Can't afford cars like that without money and you can't get money without knowin' what you're doing."

He thought that over carefully. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. Maybe they got someone else as the brains of their outfit, though. I mean, Gary ain't no fuckin' Einstein."

It was Ponyboy's turn to snort and he shook his head. "No, but Glenn isn't stupid. He reminds me of Tim Shepard, except he's meaner."

"Don't you worry, kiddo. I'll protect you from the big, bad Brumly," Two-Bit joked, throwing his arm casually over the back of Pony's seat.

Mac chuckled appreciatively and Ponyboy rolled his eyes. "We'll see how much you're laughin' if you're ever in trouble with them hoods."

"Please, Pony," Two-Bit gasped, acting offended. "Don't insult me like that! I would never be associated with such filthy hoodlums."

Ponyboy laughed heartily this time and Two-Bit smiled in spite of himself. It felt good to make his friends laugh like he used to, something he missed desperately. Even though he knew he had let his friends down with his rotten behavior, Two-Bit hoped he could make it up to them. Their friendship meant more to him than he could express and if he had to, he'd work his ass off to get back to where they'd been. It would be worth it.

A piece of popcorn struck the end of his nose and Two-Bit stared, wide-eyed at Ponyboy's solemn face. "I didn't do it, man."

"Yeah, okay! Whatever you say, Pone."

"Sh! Tryin' to watch the movie, here."

Two-Bit laughed loudly, the kind that made him throw back his head and let loose. It felt damn good, he thought.

* * *

**A/N: **Not an action packed chapter, so my apologies. The first ones are more of the pace setters, so hang in there. I promise big adventures in this for Two-Bit(;


	3. Hello, Hello, Hello

**A/N:** A massive thank you goes to **Steph36** for bouncing ideas around with me. You guys will definitely see some of them popping up from time to time(; Thank you.

Ignore any typos.

**Disclaimer:** S.E. Hinton owns _The Outsiders_ and Three Days Grace owns the song "Anonymous".

* * *

_In my mind, worlds collide.  
Something inside me is gone,  
Still I keeping going on.  
In my mind, oceans divide._

_I don't know where I belong,  
But still I keep holding on and on.  
I get by in a world with no conscience,  
By shutting it out and being anonymous._

Chapter Three

Two-Bit hooted loudly as Steve's car cruised across the finish line well ahead of his competitor. Soda was jumping up and down, about to come out of his shoes beside him. It made him laugh seeing his buddies that carefree.

It was the weekend and that meant races down at the Ribbon. All of the gang turned out as they had since Soda and Steve started racing years back. Ponyboy was standing next to Soda, grinning widely and Darry was on Two-Bit's other side with his girlfriend, Anna. She was a sweet girl and Two-Bit could see them making it. Out of all of the guys in his gang, Darry deserved it the most.

Soda grabbed his arm and yanked on it hard, caught up in his excitement. "Man, did you see that? Did you _see_ that? Stevie fuckin' smoked that sucker! Look who's talkin' shit now, huh?!"

He laughed loudly and gently peeled Soda's hand off of his arm. "Easy there, Soda. I gotta use that arm tomorrow."

"You sure you don't mean tonight?"

Ponyboy's smart ass comment caught him off guard, but Two-Bit felt the deep, gut-shaking laugh erupt from his lips before he could even think to be offended. He punched Pony gently in the arm, still laughing.

"Geez kid, you better watch that mouth. Oh, man. You nearly killed me with that one."

By then, Steve was done with his race and had rejoined the group, a whole new round of hoots and hollers going around. Soda was clapping his friend on the back and even Darry had a broad grin on his face. Two-Bit stepped out of the way as Pony reached over to congratulate Steve and as he moved, he saw the dynamics of the gang in crystal clear light.

They were a group with tight, unbreakable bonds. He was the outsider in the group now without any real ties to any of them except Steve. Two-Bit shuffled his feet in discomfort, but no one seemed to notice. They were wrapped up in their congratulations and he was left to observe. He took a step back and then another, slowly backing away from the small group of people. No one looked up, no one noticed his quiet departure. And for that, Two-Bit was glad.

Turning, Two-Bit headed for the parking lot, weaving his way through the clusters of people scattered around the track. People were laughing and cheering loudly and Two-Bit couldn't have felt more out of place. It just didn't feel right to be there, he thought, shivering slightly. So, he was going to leave.

Two-Bit climbed into his car and put the key in the ignition, silently cursing as the car groaned, but didn't turn over.

"C'mon, baby. C'mon," he muttered, silently coaxing the car.

Finally, the engine roared to life and Two-Bit threw her into gear, anxious to put as much distance between himself and the people he'd always thought of as friends as he could.

XxX

Sitting on the table, Two-Bit watched as Steve and Ponyboy concentrated on building their french fry tower. It was an impressive height, sure, but what was more impressive was the effort the two of them were putting into it _together_. Two-Bit waited until the tower was the perfect height before smiling broadly, and jumping off of the table, jostling it just enough to send the fries toppling over. Steve cursed loudly and Pony rolled his eyes, shoving a few of the fries in his mouth.

"Nice goin', fat ass," Steve whined, throwing a ketchup covered fry his way.

"Hey, watch the name callin'! I don't call you ugly, now do I?"

Mac came over to the table with his tray of food, signature grin in place. "Shit, you guys make a big enough mess over here?"

Ponyboy pointed in Two's direction. "Blame it on this guy."

"Now c'mon, Two. You know you ain't supposed to be playin' with your food," Mac chided, still grinning.

Two-Bit sighed dramatically and plopped into the seat. "I know, I know. It's a bad habit. I just can't seem to help myself."

The two of them shared a laugh while Pony and Steve continued to grumble, still cleaning up their mess. As Two-Bit took a large bite of his pizza, two girls walked by the table, one greeting Mac with a bright smile.

"Hey there, Mac. How's it hangin'?"

"Hey, yourself! Not too shabby, how 'bout you? Haven't talked to you in a while. How are you?"

The brunette shrugged and shifted her weight. "Well, I'm alive. Guess that says something, right?"

The other girl, a blonde, shook her head and tittered shrilly. "Oh, come on. Don't sound so negative!"

"Yeah, don't sound so negative," Two-Bit injected.

Their attention firmly on him, Two took another bite of his pizza and grinned widely at the two girls, relishing the disgusted looks they shot him. He would never outgrow the joy he took in grossing girls out. The brunette rolled her eyes and cocked her head to the side.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to chew with your mouth open?"

He swallowed thickly and shrugged. "Well see, toots, I wasn't exactly chewin' then. Was I?"

It was the blonde's turn to scoff. "You're a pig."

"And you laugh like a bitch, but let's not get personal."

Mac laughed shortly and held his hands up in defense. "Alright, don't get so testy. Two-Bit this is Joan Lawrence and Susan Putnam."

Joan, the brunette, offered a sneer. "Charmed."

"Oh, I bet you are."

"C'mon, Joanie. We'll be late for class," Susan hissed, her green eyes piercing him with their glare.

The two of them turned on their heels and headed across the cafeteria in time for the bell to ring. As the crowds of kids around them started to rise and throw away their trash, Mac whistled slowly and shook his head.

"Man, you don't have a clue how to get with a girl, do you?"

Steve ruffled his hair affectionately and smirked. "Two-Bit? He's as rusty as that piece of shit he drives."

Putting his elbow firmly into Steve's ribs, he laughed at the satisfying thud it produced and turned his gaze on Mac. "You say one more word against Lorraine and I'll skin you right here, man!"

Just then, a more familiar blonde headed up the stairs and disappeared into the crowds of people. Two-Bit glanced around and didn't see any of her friends with her, so he broke away from his friends and hurried after her in the hall, searching for Kathy in the midst of the busy halls. Out of the corner of his eye, Two-Bit caught sight of a blur of red, his favorite dress she owned, and he headed towards her.

Kathy's back was to him as she put books in her locker and Two-Bit felt his stomach clench anxiously. They hadn't spoken in months and he wasn't sure what to expect. But this was Kathy, he reminded himself. She wouldn't be outright mean.

He reached out slowly and tapped her shoulder, vaguely thinking about how childish that motion was. It was too late to take it back though and she turned, a look of surprise crossing her face before all emotions were gone. She just stared blankly at him and Two-Bit swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry.

"H-hey, Kath."

She glanced down and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Hello, Two-Bit."

Searching his mind desperately, Two-Bit tried to think of something clever or funny to say. He never struggled with trying to find things to say in situations, but when it came to Kathy he was lost. The way she looked at him shook him and Two-Bit wasn't sure how to proceed.

"What do you want, Two?"

He shrugged and leaned against the locker next to hers. "Just to talk, I guess. It's been a while."

"Yes, it has." Her replies were short, but he couldn't tell if she just wanted to get rid of him. "I thought we agreed we weren't gonna talk for a while."

Two-Bit frowned. "That's not how I remember it. As I seem to recall, I wanted to make things work. _You_ were the one that said you needed time. Apparently a couple of weeks was long enough, huh?"

Her brown eyes flashed. "Don't. Don't go there."

"Why? Because it's true?"

"No. Because you don't know what the hell you're talking about."

Around them, the crowd had begun to thin and in a couple of minutes, it would be just them as the final bell sounded. Two-Bit wasn't going anywhere, though. Not now.

"Oh, I don't? Enlighten me, Kath. Did you or did you not move in with Colbert weeks after we broke up?"

She shook her head slowly, shutting her locker. "You have no idea what it was like."

"What, falling in love _so_ fast like that?"

"No, watching you lose yourself. And don't you dare tell me you don't know what I mean. Your friends died, and that was terrible, but you just faded away. You didn't talk to your friends, you didn't talk to me. What the hell was I supposed to do? I have a life to live, too. Two-Bit, I tried. I gave you time. You weren't snapping out of it," she explained, that look of pity he hated so much slowly appearing in her eyes.

"So you decided that in order to help me, you'd leave? And move in with some jerk you just met?"

"I've known Hank for years. He used to hang out with Roger, remember?"

Two-Bit laughed loudly, his voice echoing through the silent hall. "Yeah, I remember. I also remember they stopped hangin' around once they realized how much older Hank was. He's what, 25? 26? Do you know what people are saying about you in town, Kath?"

She glanced angrily around the halls and shoved away from him. "I'm late for class. Thanks a lot, asshole."

"They're callin' you a tramp. Sayin' you're just whoring yourself out these days. Is that true? Are you Hank's piece of ass now?"

He didn't even see it coming. Her hand was a blur as she reached up and slapped him sharply across the face, the clapping sound ringing in his ears. There were tears in her eyes and Two-Bit knew he'd hit a nerve. Kathy was always proud of her reputation and now that she was with Hank, that was thrown out of the window. And she knew it.

"You shut your mouth. I don't wanna talk to you anymore. You just leave me alone. Goodbye, Keith."

Kathy flew down the hall, her heels clacking loudly on the tile floors. When she was out of sight, Two-Bit reached up and rubbed his cheek where she had hit him, the skin there numb and tingly. A rage was building inside of him and although he knew there was nothing that could be done about it now, he wanted a fight. Bad.

Classes forgotten, Two-Bit spun on his heel and headed for the doors of the school. Behind him, he heard a teacher calling him back, telling him that he needed to be in class. Two-Bit held up his middle finger and threw open the doors.

There was fighting to be done.

XxX

Two-Bit raced down the street, pushing his car to the limit and ignoring every street sign he passed. He had one-way vision and at the end of the tunnel was that fucker Hank Colbert. Two scoffed to himself as he drove, imagining the look on Hank's face when he saw Two-Bit at his door. It was enough to keep him driving and he pushed the gas even farther down, anxious to get the fight started.

He pulled up to the curb in front of the small house and threw the car in park. A dangerous smirk spread across his face as he climbed out and Two-Bit felt a spring in his step. It was going to be a good one and it would feel damn good to pound on Colbert's pretty boy face.

Taking a deep breath as he reached the porch, Two-Bit rang the doorbell and waited. Inside he could hear someone moving around and heavy footsteps sounded, coming closer to where Two-Bit stood. His fists clenched tightly and as the door swung open, he smiled widely at the older guy.

"Hello, Hank."

The look of surprise barely had time to register on Hank's face before Two-Bit's fist crashed against his cheek, knocking him back a step. Two-Bit stepped forward and laughed darkly.

"What's a matter, buddy? You're awful quiet."

"Get the hell out of my house, you jackass," he grumbled, shoving himself to his feet just in time for Two-Bit to strike him again.

The surge of adrenaline rushed through his veins and Two-Bit threw another punch, but Hank was quicker. He deflected it swiftly and returned with his own hit, connecting soundly with Two-Bit's jaw. The two of them tumbled backwards and out onto the lawn, both boy scrambling to their feet. A small crowd of onlookers formed across the street, their voices starting to carry through the air.

Hank and Kathy lived in a fairly quiet neighborhood, not the best in town, but certainly not a greaser area. The neighbors that were gathering were in shock, Two-Bit could hear it in their voices. It wasn't every day that they saw a fight in their own front yards.

A sharp jab landed in Two's gut and he felt the air gust out of his rapidly, but he refused to stop swinging. He nailed Hank right under the chin and the older guy toppled over, landing on his back and staring stunned up at him. Two-Bit sneered, spitting thickly down at Hank. As he prepared to throw himself at the fallen guy, the wail of sirens reached his ears and Two-Bit knew he was screwed.

"Fuckin' fuzz," he growled under his breath.

That brought a smirk to Hank's face and he had half a mind to wipe it off of the guy's face. But as the cop car rolled around the corner, Two figured he already had enough blood on his hands without the cops needing to see him beat the shit out of Hank. He'd gotten what he wanted out of the fight.

So when the cops loaded him into the back of their car, cuffs on his wrist, Two-Bit was still smiling. After all, he had won.

XxX

Two-Bit threw his head back, cringing as it smacked against the concrete wall of his cell. They were holding him overnight and in the morning he'd find out if there were charges pressed. He'd already had two visitors stop by, Bonnie in tears and his mother just shaking her head sadly. He hated to let them down, being the only man of the family, but this was a fight he had to get in and he didn't regret it one bit.

He flexed his hand slowly, wincing from the already swollen joints. Two-Bit moved his hand around, checking for any broken bones, and smirked when he found none. That son-of-a-bitch had to have at least a broken nose, and hopefully a little something more, and he was walking away with some sore knuckles. It had been more worthwhile than Two originally thought.

And he felt good. He felt damn good. All the while he was pounding on Hank's thick head, he could feel that tightness in his chest loosen. The guy may have won Kathy over and he may have thought he'd gotten away free and clear, but Two-Bit had shown him otherwise. He hadn't backed down from the fight and he hadn't walked away with his head down. Ultimately, he had won.

Down the corridor, the doors clanged open and Two-Bit heard the guards escorting someone else down the row of cells. The three men stopped outside of his cell, the two uniforms grasping either arm of the newest addition to the population and when the door slid open, they shoved his cellmate inside. Silence fell and the cops walked away, muttering quietly to themselves. Two-Bit stared uncertainly at the guy in front of him, trying to figure out just where he'd seen the guy before.

The stranger turned and stared back at him, the pair of dark eyes burning holes in Two-Bit's head as he did so. Two-Bit felt a shudder run down his spine, but he stared back anyways. He'd been taught to never back down from fear and so he faced it, literally staring it in the eye.

"You got a name?" His voice was gruff and low, gravelly.

"Yeah, 's a matter of fact I do. What about you?"

He cracked a smile, making him look even more intimidating than before. "Brumly. Gary."

The youngest of the two Brumly brothers, Gary was well known as being the enforcer. He was one of the toughest hoods around and he was mean, down to the bone. It was rumored that he killed a man in cold blood because he didn't like how the guy was looking at him. And now, Two-Bit got to spend the night with him.

"Two-Bit Mathews."

Gary nodded in acknowledgment and sat on his bunk, hands crossed and head down. "Whatchu in for?"

A smirk crossed his face at the memory. "Fightin'. What are you here for?"

Another dangerous smile appeared and Gary cracked his fingers. "Yeah, fightin'."

Two-Bit glanced down the corridor to where the main desk was, a clock on the wall above it. It was just after ten at night. He just had to survive until morning. It wouldn't be that hard, would it?

Brumly chuckled, an even lower sound than when he spoke. "You scared, Mathews?"

He shook his head and crossed his arms, leaning forward slowly. "Nah, man. Ain't nothin' around here to be scared off. 'Less of course you believe in the boogey man."

At that, Brumly looked at him in disbelief and lay down in his bunk. "You have no idea just how many boogey men there are out there. Who knows, maybe I'm him."

The sincerity in his voice startled Two-Bit and he lay down as well, staring up at the ceiling. There was no noise on the cell block, the only other patron was the local drunk, snoring heavily two cells down. Why they had put Brumly in with him, Two-Bit couldn't figure out for the life of him. But there would be no sleeping for him that night. Not one minute of it.

"So, you got a girl? Family?"

Two-Bit glanced at him suspiciously. "What's it to you, Brumly?"

Gary shrugged and crossed his arms across his broad chest. "Just makin' small talk. Fine. You don't mind the total silence, be my guest."

The two cellmates were quiet for a few minutes, the only sound was the steady dripping of a leaky faucet down the corridor. Unable to stand the silence anymore, Two-Bit sighed heavily and shifted his weight again.

"Yeah. Ma and a sister. You?"

"Just me 'n my brother."

"So you sorta look out for 'em, huh?"

Two-Bit frowned slightly, but replied, "Yeah, I guess so. I ain't too good at it sometimes, man."

Gary twirled his fingers slowly. "Why?"

"Can't provide for 'em. I ain't had a job and my ma … she can only work so much."

"I'm sure things'll work out. Ain't life sunshine and roses?" The sarcasm in his voice simply made him sound more menacing and this time, Two-Bit couldn't suppress the shudder that came over him.

"Sure," he muttered, rolling over to face the gray wall.

He clamped his mouth shut and didn't say another word, staring blankly in front of him and listening to the sounds of the jail around him. After another half hour or so, Gary was snoring deeply, something that was oddly soothing to Two-Bit. As long as the big guy was asleep, he felt a little safer in drifting off himself.

When Two-Bit started dozing, glimpses of people's faces burst into his head – his mother, Hank Colbert, his sister, Steve, Kathy. He hated the look on every one of their faces and even in his sleep, he struggled to wipe it off of their faces.

Damn pity.

* * *

**A/N: **Still building, but we're closer!


	4. The Darkest Road

**A/N:** Happy Monday! Nice and long chapter for you guys. Ignore any typos.

**Disclaimer:** S.E. Hinton owns _The Outsiders_ and Three Days Grace owns the song "Misery Loves My Company".

* * *

_I am not alone,  
Not beaten down just yet.  
I am not afraid of the voices in my head.  
And down the darkest road something follows me._

_I am not alone.  
This misery loves my company.  
Leave me in the cold.  
You better run away.  
_

Chapter Four

"You better stop braggin' or I'm gonna shove this bowlin' ball up your ass," Steve grumbled, penciling in another strike for Mac on the score sheet.

Two-Bit smirked and sipped on his Pepsi, lounging in the chairs comfortably. The three of them had hit the bowling alley after class let out and, as usual, Mac was winning. Today it seemed that Steve was taking it rather personal as he jumped out of his chair and stalked up to the lane, silently prepping for his own throw.

Mac plopped down in the seat beside him, his wide smile firmly in place. "Man, I'm on a roll tonight, huh?"

"Yeah you are, man. Might wanna watch it, though. Looks like Steve wants to take you offa that roll," Two-Bit muttered, smirking as his friend threw a gutter ball.

As Two-Bit reached for another french fry from the tray, a large hand clapped down on his shoulder and he instinctively reached for his blade that was no longer there. Shit.

"Relax, Mathews. Jesus."

Turning around, Two-Bit glared up at the steely Tim Shepard, his brother and another of his guys standing just behind him. Tim smirked and sat on the back of one of the alley chairs, lighting up as he did so.

"You really oughta watch who you go around grabbin', Timmy. I'm sure some people wouldn't react so sweetly," Two-Bit grumbled, shoving Tim's shoe off of the chair.

"Like I said, relax. If I had a problem with you, believe me, you'd know." His voice was low and rough, but Two-Bit could hear the sincerity in it.

Tim Shepard was a tough guy, no doubt about it, but he was a good guy to have on your side of things. He'd always gotten along pretty well with the Shepard Gang and he had a feeling it was because deep underneath it all, Tim had a sense of humor.

"How you been, Two-Bit," Curly called, swiping a soda from a nearby table of girls.

Two-Bit shook his head, but grinned anyways. "Ain't too shabby, Curly. Can't complain anyways. Good to see you out and about, kid. Maybe this time you can _stay _out?"

Curly had just gotten out of the reformatory. Again. From the look on Tim's face, Two-Bit thought it might have been the last time Curly went in.

"Yeah, he's out for good this time," Tim answered for him, offering Two-Bit a smoke.

"I'll be back in a few," Mac said, heading over to the bathrooms.

"What's his deal?"

Two-Bit shrugged and took a deep breath of smoke. "Kid's got a weak bladder."

By then, Steve's turn was finished and he returned to the seats, shaking hands firmly with Tim and Curly as he did so.

"What brings you boys down here?"

"Just huntin' some action," Curly answered, wagging his eyebrows wolfishly.

Tim rolled his eyes, but smirked. "Baby brother here wanted to chase skirts. I figured I'd teach him a few things."

"Oh, great," Steve groaned, smirking broadly. "Last thing we need is a mini Tim Shepard runnin' 'round town."

"Oh, shut up," Tim grumbled, glaring at Steve.

Two-Bit finished updating the score sheets and grabbed his bowling ball, walking up to the lane for his turn. Behind him, he heard his friends continue chatting, but he focused on nothing but the lane in front of him. He had to beat Mac, just to take his friend by surprise. Served him right for just walking away in the middle of the game.

He threw the ball with as much force as he could and watched with satisfaction as it smashed into the pins, leaving just one standing. With a smirk, he grabbed the ball from the return and neatly finished off the last pin. When he grabbed the score sheet, the topic of conversation among his friends had shifted dramatically and it caught his attention.

"Yeah, you remember that, Two? That kid that went missing a while back," Steve questioned, swallowing his drink.

He shrugged noncommittally, but Two-Bit racked his brains thinking about it. There had been a news story about a local boy that had gone missing. He was around Two-Bit's age and they'd never found him. Police presumed he was dead after a few months and the family had a small funeral for him.

"Why you talkin' about that anyways? I thought we were here to have a good time," Two-Bit quipped, throwing the small pencil at Steve's head.

His friend dodged it carefully and scowled at him. "We woulda had a good time if you hadn't brought that cheatin' son-of-a-bitch."

"Listen, we oughta get goin'," Tim injected, standing slowly and straightening his leather jacket. "You boys take it easy, alright?"

"Good seein' you, Shepard. Be careful, man."

The boys shook hands and the Shepard's left, Curly cat-calling at some of the girls on the way out. Two-Bit laughed and shook his head.

"That kid couldn't pick up a girl with a forklift."

Mac returned to their table shortly after that, chatting happily with Susan, the blonde girl from school. Trailing behind was a group of girls chatting, Sylvia Turner, Evie, and Joan.

"Would you look at that? We leave him alone for fifteen minutes and he turns up with four girls," Two-Bit joked, winking at Steve.

"Watch it, slick. One of them is my girl." Steve stood up to greet Evie and she kissed him on the cheek, smiling warmly at Two-Bit.

"Gals," Two-Bit acknowledged, tipping his soda in their direction.

"Pig," Susan muttered, rolling her eyes at him.

From behind her friend, Joan smirked at him, but said nothing, much to his irritation. She didn't seem like the type to talk, but it was clear from the look on her face she had no problem judging him. Whatever. He didn't need to waste his time there. Looking around, he saw Sylvia standing off to the side, looking out of place and abnormally quiet. Two-Bit smiled at her.

"How's it goin', Syl?"

She shrugged, but offered him a small smile of her own. "Not too bad. Thanks, Two."

Ever since Dally died, Sylvia had toned it down quite a bit. She didn't have the same reputation that she used to and even though she was rumored to be with Tim, her days of running around were long done. Losing Dally seemed to take it right out of her.

Mac was grinning broadly and sat in the chair beside him. "Go to get food and come back with women. Don't get much better than that, huh?"

"You just wanted to let me catch up to you in the game," Steve hollered, his arm wrapped around Evie's waist.

"We oughta get going, Suze," Joan said quietly, her voice surprisingly pleasant to listen to.

"Yeah, alright. See you later, Mac," Susan called, throwing him a flashy grin.

Two-Bit threw his hand up in an exaggerated wave. "Bye Susie! Let's catch up real soon, alright?"

The blonde flipped him the bird before turning on her heel, but Joan was clutching her side, laughing. Two-Bit grinned in spite of himself and turned his attention back to the bowling game at hand. Mac was back up at the lane and he was determined to not lose this time. At least, not so miserably.

XxX

Sitting on the porch, Two-Bit took a deep swig of beer. It was a bright afternoon and he'd needed the fresh air. The house had just seemed too small, almost as if it was suffocating him. Once outside, he'd found he could breathe easier, so he just sat back and relaxed on the porch.

The sounds of an approaching car didn't faze him; their house was on the corner of a fairly busy road. When the engine idled and died in such close proximity, though, he opened his eyes and was surprised to see his mother climbing out of an old pickup. The driver sped off once she was up the sidewalk, but Two-Bit couldn't take his eyes off of her face.

Something was wrong.

If he had a watch, he could have known the exact time, but even without it Two-Bit knew she was home too early from work. She hadn't even been there three hours.

"Ma? What's goin' on?"

Ginny offered him a watery smile, but as she did, a few stray tears leaked out and betrayed her true feelings. She swiped at them miserably and settled onto the porch steps beside him.

"Sweetie, don't you worry about me, okay? I'm just fine."

"Why are you home so early? What's goin' on?"

She sighed tiredly and Two-Bit put an arm around her small shoulders, squeezing her gently. His mother was such a small woman with such a large personality, it scared him to see her so quiet and broken. It just wasn't like her.

"Everything's gonna be fine, Two. I just … I gotta find some work. But Margaret told me she knows a place that's hiring and Paula knows a couple of places I could check with. Baby, please don't worry. Everything is gonna be just fine, okay? I promise you." She was rambling and somewhere in the middle of it, she'd started to cry again.

Two-Bit thought he could feel his heart break in his chest as he realized what she was saying. The job she had worked so hard to nail down was now gone and he had a sneaking suspicion as to why she had been fired.

"Why'd they let you go, Ma?"

She gave him a look and patted his hand. "Don't you go gettin' in anymore fights now, Two. I can't keep bailin' you out, honey."

"Was it Frank's fault? Was it?"

Virginia stared at her hands and nodded slowly. "A guy that comes into the bar all of the time, a local drunk, completely harmless, was talkin' to me. Apparently he talked too much and Frank … well, you know how he is."

Yeah, he knew alright. Frank Vallenci had a temper the size of Texas and was particularly territorial about his women. It drove Two-Bit nuts, but his mother begged him to let it be, so he swallowed his pride and stood aside. It wasn't easy, especially when it was costing his mother her job. Two-Bit's fists clenched tightly at his sides, but Ginny reached over and squeezed one of his fists gently.

"Two-Bit, I'm askin' you to let this go. For me. Just let this go."

He stared at her, wanting desperately to change her mind, but knowing he would never be able to. She always told him that he inherited his stubbornness from her and this was living proof. His mother wanted the issue dropped, so Two-Bit would have to drop it.

Sighing, he patted her hand gently and nodded. "Alright, Ma. I won't do nothin'."

She beamed at him, relief flooding her weary features. Ginny kissed his cheek and ruffled his hair in the way only a mother could get away with before standing and heading for the door. She gave him one last grateful look before heading inside, calling a warm greeting to Bonnie. Two-Bit sat for a minute longer before the knowledge of what he had to do hit him. It was time to grow up.

Two-Bit stuck his head inside and yelled, "I'll be back in a little bit, Ma. I'm headin' over to Ponyboy's."

He hitched his thumbs in the hooks of his jeans and hit the road, kicking the rocks in his way as he went. If he couldn't teach Vallenci a lesson for what he did, then he would have to come up with another solution. He just needed a little help from some friends.

XxX

"What d'you mean you can't do it?"

"Two-Bit, I'm sorry! I just don't think Jeff would want a guy workin' for him with a record," Darry replied, arms in the air.

"You're full of shit," Two-Bit hissed. "You just don't wanna ask him and admit you know a bum like me. That's it, ain't it?"

Darry sighed and rubbed his face. "Look, I would hire you on the spot. I wouldn't think twice about it! But Jeff has a lot of responsibilities. He's got a lot of stuff to keep track of and you've got the whole shopliftin' reputation around you. I just don't think he would –"

"Forget it. I shoulda known better than to come here." Two-Bit waved him off impatiently and hit the door, slamming it loudly behind him.

He heard Darry call after him, but Two-Bit didn't stop moving. If he did, he knew he'd land a nice punch square on Darry's jaw and he really didn't want to start a fight with Superman. Not now, anyways. Besides, he'd gotten all the answer he had been looking for.

Two-Bit always feared that he wasn't cut out to hold a job and now that one of his closest friends was turning him away, he had no choice but to believe it. Maybe he'd screwed up too much in life to ever amount to much. All of those years of stealing and scamming were coming back to haunt him and Two-Bit couldn't seem to shake it.

Still, he thought, Darry was supposed to be his friend. He wouldn't even give him a chance. What the hell kind of friend does that, he wondered darkly. Not a good one. Fuck him then. Fuck them all. He didn't need their help anyways. He was going to help his family and do it all on his own. It was about time he proved to them all and to himself that he was capable of it.

XxX

Two-Bit stretched out across the couch, sipping his beer slowly with his eyes closed. It was a Saturday afternoon, a time he usually spent bumming around with friends. He felt anything but relaxed though, after the news about his mother's job had spread. Bonnie was in the kitchen, baking something or other. He knew he should go in and check on her because his sister never baked anything. The only time he'd ever found Bonnie whipping up something in the kitchen was after she'd received bad news.

Sighing, Two-Bit sat up. He set the beer down on the table and got up, rubbing his face tiredly. No matter how much he hated his old man, there were still days that came when he wished Charlie Mathews would have had the guts to stay and support his family. Then he wouldn't have to worry about every damn thing going on in his life. But then again, he thought, watching Bonnie as she fussed with the batter, he'd become a better brother and a better son without his old man around.

"You just gonna stand there or are you gonna get your ass in here an' help," Bonnie quipped.

He smirked and strolled into the kitchen, dipping his finger into the bowl. "You know, maybe we oughta add some sugar to you. You ain't too sweet these days."

"Shut up," she grumbled moodily.

"What's on your mind, Bon?" He took the bowl from her and began beating the batter.

She shrugged and remained quiet, tugging on her curls absentmindedly. Two-Bit finished stirring and set the bowl down. He wiped his hands on his jeans and set them gently on her shoulders, causing her to look up.

"You don't have to pretend you know," she whispered, glancing down. "Ma told me she lost her job last week."

He sighed and pulled his sister to his chest, holding her tightly there. She was fourteen, far too young to be worried about the things that she was.

"Bonnie, you let me and Ma worry about that stuff, okay? You don't need to be worrying about money. Not now."

"But Two-Bit, I _am_ worried. What if something happens and we don't have any money? What if she can't find a new job? Then what? What will we do?" Her voice was muffled against him and Two-Bit could feel warm tears soaking into his shirt.

"Let me worry about that, okay? Ma said she was talkin' to some of her friends and they're gonna try and help her out. We're gonna be okay, Bonnie. Tell you what, how about I take you out for lunch? Anywhere you want and it's on me. We don't ever get to go out and have some fun. Let's go somewhere."

She drew back and looked at him, her green eyes rimmed with tears. "A-are you sure? What about the m-"

"You say money and I'll pull them curls so hard they'll straighten out for good," he threatened, smiling at her.

He watched her face as she considered it and a grin spread cautiously. Bonnie nodded her head and gave him one last tight squeeze before grabbing the bowl of batter and tossing it into their refrigerator. She darted down the hallway and grabbed her purse before joining him again, still smiling. Two-Bit wrapped his arm around her shoulders and walked with her to his car, holding the door open for her as she climbed in.

Two-Bit loved Bonnie more than anything and he'd be damned if she didn't get to enjoy her childhood. He hadn't been able to, but she wasn't going to have it stolen from her. He would make sure of that.

XxX

The final bell of the year rang and the floodgates let loose, hundreds of students streaming steadily out into the Tulsa heat. Two-Bit was smiling cheerily, whistling as he walked out to his car. Even after all of the problems at home, it felt damn good to be done with school. One less responsibility for a while.

As he got closer to his car, Two-Bit saw someone leaning up against it. He prepared to tell them off, ready even to fight them, until he saw who it was. Wearing a black leather jacket and a bright red shirt, Glenn Brumly was relaxing calmly against Lorraine, looking like a character from a movie. Two-Bit quickly glanced around, surveying the area. Sure enough, over to his right sat two unfamiliar cars, both filled with more than enough people that he could easily identify as belonging to the Brumly outfit.

Curious, Two-Bit sidled up to his car, lighting up a cigarette to calm his suddenly racing nerves. "Can I help you with somethin'?"

Glenn smirked and turned his penetrating gaze on Two-Bit. "As a matter of fact, I think you can. You're Mathews, right?"

"Depends. Who's askin'?"

He chuckled darkly. "That's cute. I like that."

Two-Bit waited uncertainly, not speaking because he wasn't sure what exactly he was supposed to say. When Brumly was satisfied with the amount of squirming he had done, he shrugged.

"The name's Brumly. I believe you met my brother, Gary, in the cooler."

He nodded and flipped the collar of his jacket up. "Oh, right. I remember him. Big guy, right?"

"Yeah, he's a pretty big guy." That dark laugh sounded again and Two-Bit felt his flesh crawl.

After a few moments of silence, Two-Bit began to get impatient. Just what did this guy want?

"So, you said you wanted somethin' from me?"

"Oh, right. I almost forgot why I came here," Glenn joked, the smirk never falling from his lips. "We've got a job to do and not enough guys. Word around is that you could use some … employment. That right?"

Two-Bit crossed his arms and copped what he hoped was a neutral expression. "Is that so? You didn't hear that from your baby brother, now did you?"

Glenn chuckled and nodded slowly. "Well, that's not exactly your business where I get my information from. Question is, are you interested?"

"That depends."

"On?"

"The job you want done."

"See, I knew I liked you , Mathews," Glenn said, pointing his finger at Two-Bit's chest. "You've got brains. I like that. I respect that. The basis of it is this, we're gonna hit a joint. Rob it. Nothin' fancy, nothin' dirty, but plenty of cash involved."

"If it's so easy, why do you need my help with it?"

Glenn tipped his head and shrugged. "Consider it a gesture of good faith. I remember my boys helpin' your outfit out a little while back in that rumble with the Socs. Consider this your way to pay me back."

Two-Bit thought it over for a minute, searching for any signs of a loophole in the plan. "And I would keep my share of it?"

That disconcerning smirk reappeared. "Well now, what do you think, Mathews? You've proven you're smart. Questions like that insult my intelligence. I'm sure you don't mean to do that, do you?"

The shift in his persona was subtle, but Two-Bit could see it in his face. There were newer, darker lines around his eyes and mouth and he could have sworn that Glenn grew another foot in height. Brumly hadn't taken a step towards him or even threatened to, but it was clear to Two-Bit that this was one guy he wouldn't like to cross. Not then or ever.

"Alright, Brumly. You've got my attention."

Glenn broke into a lighter smirk and clapped Two-Bit, hard, on the shoulder. "Good! I'm glad to hear that. I really am."

A few more guys suddenly appeared around them and Two-Bit recognized Gary, standing back by one of the most beautiful cars he had ever laid eyes on.

"Jesus, is that a Charger?"

The cherry red 1967 Dodge Charger was the prettiest car Two-Bit had ever had the privilege to see in person. He knew if Soda and Steve were there they would have to find a mop for all of their drool. It was a badass car.

"You know your cars, huh?"

"Shit, this is a tuff car. Yours?"

Glenn laughed loudly, a rough sound. "You're damn right it's mine. What, you think I lifted it?"

The thought had crossed his mind, but Two-Bit aired on the side of caution. "No way, man. I just never seen one of these in person."

He ran his hand over the hood slowly, reveling in the shine of the paint. Behind him, he knew Glenn was bursting with pride, but he couldn't tear himself away from the car. It was pure beauty.

"Tell you what, Mathews," Glenn said, gesturing for Two to rejoin him. "You do a good job for us and I'll let you take this baby out for the night. How's that sound?"

A voice in the back of his head said _It sounds too good to be true, so you know what that means … _but he shoved those thoughts away and briskly shook hands with Glenn. "Brumly, you've got yourself a deal."

"Great!" He clapped Two-Bit on the back once more and the rest of his outfit slunk back to their waiting cars as silently as they had appeared.

"So, how do I get in touch with you guys then?"

Glenn chuckled as he slid behind the wheel of his car. "Oh, buddy. _We'll_ get in touch with you."

And with that, the train of cars sped out of the lot, leaving Two-Bit staring silently after them. The cherry red paint was still burned in his mind and he made a conscious effort to close his mouth. Jesus, but that was a tuff car. A real tuff car.

"What was that about?" Ponyboy's voice was so close, Two-Bit jumped from surprise.

"Geez, kid. You ever let people know before you sneak up on 'em?"

He shrugged and then pointed in the direction of the fading cars. "So what was that? I didn't recognize those guys from around here."

"They're not. That was the Brumly outfit."

Ponyboy's eyes widened slightly and he cocked his head. "Why were you talkin' to them?"

"Kid, you ask too many questions." Two-Bit climbed into the car and started her up, watching as Pony got in next to him.

The real reason he was so touchy about the questions was because he didn't feel right. He felt like he had been backed in to making the decision without really weighing it and while the promise of easy money sounded more than appealing, he couldn't help but think maybe it was too good to be true.

"You know, Darry coulda gotten you a job. He just wanted to make sure you were serious and that you knew things wouldn't just get handed to you," Pony muttered, staring out of the window.

Two-Bit had to laugh and shake his head. "Darry's known me his whole life. He knew I wanted that job ... he just didn't want me to have it. If he didn't know I was serious by now … shit, then he don't know me from Mother fuckin' Goose."

He felt Ponyboy's eyes on him, but the younger boy remained silent. Irritated, Two-Bit turned his radio up and let the music fill the silence. He had tried to get a real job. He had tried to rely on his friends. That hadn't worked out for him so he had been creative. Who were the Curtis' to judge him? Just because it wasn't the route he would have taken a few months back, Two-Bit knew deep down that if Brumly had asked him again, he would have answered with the same thing.

So why bother regretting it?

* * *

**A/N: **And so, it begins(;


	5. Living Fast and Dying Young

**A/N:** Please ignore any typos.

**Disclaimer:** S.E. Hinton owns _The Outsiders_ and Three Days Grace owns the song "Time That Remains".

* * *

_Don't let your demons drive.__  
They'll just steer you wrong.  
You won't get out alive._

_Because you can't unlive the pain.  
You can't rewind to yesterday.  
You might never find your place  
In the time that remains._

Chapter Five

It was Friday night and the party at Buck's was in full swing. The room was packed with people dancing, shouting, laughing, and drinking. Two-Bit couldn't stop smiling and he hooted loudly as Soda brought a round of beers to their table. Steve was smirking in his seat and gladly accepted the beer from Soda. Things were going good.

"Man, I ain't see Buck's this busy in a long time," Soda hollered over the music.

Two-Bit nodded and raised his beer. "Here's to school bein' out for summer! It's gonna be a big one."

Soda and Steve raised their glasses to his and the three of them drank to the good times that lay ahead. It had been ages since the three of them had a night to hang out and Two-Bit felt great. He grinned broadly and knocked Steve's arm as he went to take a drink, spilling some of his beer.

"Ah, Two! Look what you did you bum."

Snickering, Soda handed him a fistful of napkins. "Here ya go, Stevie. Makin' quite the mess there, aren't ya?"

"Shut up, Soda," he grumbled, smiling a bit in spite of himself.

Tim walked by their table, Sylvia on his arm. He nodded to them and Two-Bit tipped his glass in his direction. The couple disappeared up the steps and Soda wolf-whistled after them.

"Man, Dally'd be shittin' himself if he could see that."

Two-Bit nodded and thought of his hot-headed friend. Times like this made him miss Dally even more. He always managed to get himself into something and it kept things interesting. Not to mention Dally was a real good buddy. He smirked at the thought and drank to Dal's memory. It was the least he could do.

Across the table, Soda and Steve were engaging in yet another infamous arm wrestling match. Steve was sneering at his best friend, but Soda wasn't giving up. His free hand gripped the table tightly and his face was screwed up in concentration.

"Give it up, Sodapop. You ain't ever gonna beat Stevie, here."

"Shove. It," he gritted out, starting to break a sweat.

As Two-Bit started to reply, he caught a glimpse of a familiar face and his good feelings quickly disappeared. In the corner by the stairs was none other than the imposing Gary Brumly along with two of his goons. Two-Bit knew that they would be meeting up with him sometime soon since he'd yet to hear any details of what the job would entail, but he hadn't expected them to show up at Buck's.

Sighing, Two sat his beer down and got up from the table, heading over to where the hoods were waiting for him. Gary smirked as he approached, the expression making him look even more menacing than normal. The two guys beside him flexed their muscles, one looking slightly less imposing than the others. Two-Bit still felt another shudder run down his spine, but he fought it.

"Boys. Didn't expect to see you here."

Gary sneered more broadly at that. "You didn't think we'd miss a party like this, now did you? 'Sides, we got things to talk about. Or did you forget 'bout them already?"

The two guys with him snickered and the scrawnier of the two nudged the bigger one. He reminded Two-Bit of Ratface and he felt the overwhelming urge to deck him in the mouth. Two stuffed his fists into his pockets and cocked his eyebrow.

"No, I haven't forgotten nothin'. Thought maybe you boys had changed your minds. Ain't heard from ya in a while."

"Well that ain't exactly my problem. We're busy, you see. Business stuff," Gary rumbled, his dark eyes flashing dangerously.

"Enough shootin' the breeze," the scrawny guy injected. "We came to give you a message. Ain't got time to stand around gossipin' like some broads."

Gary nodded and glanced surprised at the boys behind him. "Well geez, where are my manners? I don't believe you all have met. Mathews, this is Melvin and Warren. They're gonna be keepin' in touch with you over the next few weeks. You know, just in case you're tempted to change your mind."

The two guys grinned menacingly at him and Two-Bit was willing to wager the guy that was built like Ratface was the one named Melvin. It seemed to fit and Two had to bite back a grin. He thought it wouldn't be too smart to start smiling in the presence of a guy like Gary.

"I ain't changin' my mind, Brumly. I look forward to seein' you all real soon," Two-Bit replied evenly.

Gary nodded curtly. "That's what I like to hear, Mathews. Meeting is set for three weeks from now. 'Round ten at the Ribbon. You better show. Let me tell you somethin' – if you _don't_ show, I can promise you we'll see each other again. Real soon. You get what I'm sayin'?"

You're basically threatening to kick my ass from here to Texas, Two-Bit thought smartly, but bit back his retort and settled for, "Yeah, I read you."

"Problem here?" Soda's voice was friendly enough, but Two-Bit heard the underlying anger.

He and Steve had appeared at some point during the conversation, silently backing Two. A surge of pride rushed through him as he took in their stances, both ready to fight if need be and both clearly there to support him. Two-Bit turned back to Brumly and crossed his arms slowly.

"No. Actually they were just leavin'. Apparently Buck's party ain't their scene."

Gary stared at him silently for what seemed like ages. Two-Bit could see the thoughts racing around his brain. Did he leave and comply with what Two wanted? Or did he stay, even if it wasn't what he wanted? Two was banking on his older brother telling Gary not to touch him. Not yet, anyways.

After a long pause, Gary slowly nodded. "Yeah, that's right. Real shame we couldn't hang out though. I'd love to stay and chat with you boys."

His dark eyes studied Steve and Soda each in turn, sizing them up and committing their faces to memory. Two-Bit would bet on that. Finally his gaze landed on Two-Bit and for a brief moment, he could see just how bad Gary wanted to beat the shit out of him. But he blinked and it was gone, replaced by that eerie calmness.

"We'll be in touch, Mathews."

With that, the three characters headed for the door, slinking their way through the crowd of people. Once they were gone, Two-Bit breathed a large sigh of relief and turned with a grin to his friends. He clapped Steve on the shoulder and nodded to Soda.

"Thanks, man. Glad you guys had my back. Them boys ain't exactly a barrel of laughs, in case you couldn't tell."

Neither of his friends looked amused and Two-Bit fell silent, unsure what to say to them. Soda spoke first, his eyebrows knotted together.

"Why're you still talkin' to Brumly and his goons, anyways? You know that Darry was gonna talk to his boss about gettin' you a _real_ job."

Two-Bit waved him off, impatient. "I ain't a charity case, man. Look, Brumly got one job for me to do. That's it. Then I'm free and clear."

Steve shifted his weight and asked, "Yeah? And just what is this job, Two? Or ain't they plannin' on telling you until you're actually there?"

A wave of unease flooded his system as Two-Bit realized his friend was right. He still had no idea what the job would be. All he knew was his ass had better be at that meeting and there was a fair payoff waiting for him at the end. It was clear, standing there with his friends, that they didn't see things that clearly. They couldn't look past the Brumly exterior.

"Just let me worry about that, alright? They've got a meetin' planned and that's why they came here – to let me know when and where. What, are you worried about me, Stevie? I'm flattered," he joked, throwing an arm around his friend's shoulders.

He shrugged him off and Soda scoffed next to him. "Two-Bit, this ain't a joke! This is serious. These guys aren't like Tim or Dally. These guys are the real deal. These are hoods."

"I'm aware of that, Sodapop. Thanks for clearin' that up," he snapped. Then he sighed, rubbing his face. "Look, we came here to have a good time tonight. I'd like to keep it that way. They're gone. Let's just forget about it, alright?"

Soda and Steve glanced at each other and Two-Bit fought the urge to knock their heads together. He knew what they were thinking and it pissed him off that they didn't have the balls just to say it in front of him. Instead, they turned to him and shrugged, heading back to their table in the corner. Two-Bit watched them for a moment before joining them, knowing full well that the night was done in. There was no going back from it now and Two-Bit was counting the minutes until he could escape the judgmental gazes coming from his friends.

XxX

Ginny came home around eleven that night, looking more tired than Two-Bit had seen in a long time. He got up from his place in the recliner and took her jacket, walking her over to the chair and grabbing the hot cup of coffee he'd had ready. She gave him a grateful smile and took a deep drink of the warm beverage.

"No luck tonight." It came out more of a statement than a question, but Two didn't bother to correct it.

He knew it was true from the look in her eyes.

She shook her head sadly, but a weary smile remained in place. "Don't you worry, baby. I'm gonna find somethin'. This just wasn't meant to be."

Two-Bit admired his mother's reserve and her determination to find a job, but he didn't know how she could honestly say it would be okay. Then again, maybe she said it more to convince herself than him. Two patted her arm gently and nodded.

"I know, Ma. Bonnie was home from LouAnne's by nine and in bed by nine thirty. I made some spaghetti for dinner and she bought some bread from the bakery to go with it. I loaned her some money for it." Two-Bit was used to having to give his mom the evening report and Ginny watched him fondly.

"You're such a good son."

Her compliment struck Two-Bit and he swallowed thickly. He loved his mother more than anything and it meant more than he could tell her to hear her say something like that.

"Thanks, Ma."

She got up from her chair and kissed his head softly. Two watched as she quietly walked down the hall, peeking in on Bonnie before entering her own bedroom and closing the door behind her. If he'd needed any confirmation that he was doing right by his family, that was it. Two-Bit swore that his mother's endless job hunting would stop. It had to. She deserved some rest and if that meant being Brumly's bitch, so be it. At least for now.

XxX

Mac thrust his fist into the air as his new high score rang out on the video game screen. There was a new game down at the arcade and Mac had convinced Two-Bit to go check it out with him. It wasn't exactly a hot scene, mostly teenage boys looking to kill time and not many skirts to chase, but Two-Bit was enjoying himself. At least none of the Curtis' or their friends were there.

Since the tense exchange at Buck's, Two had steered clear of the guys for a while. He just needed a break to clear his own head without their influence. Two knew that he had to get the money for his mom and sister and he didn't need Soda or Steve or anybody telling him that he was a fool for trying. If the shoe was on the other foot, they'd be doing the same thing. Difference was, Two-Bit wasn't afraid to say it.

Nudging his arm, Mac drew him back to present. "Hey, man. Don't go spacin' out on me again. We came to have fun, remember? Stop worryin'. You know things are gonna be fine."

"Yeah, I know. They just piss me off."

Mac nodded and made his way to another game in the corner. "Yeah, but they're just bein' good buddies. Don't forget, they just wanna help you out."

Two shrugged and kicked the leg of the game. "I didn't ask their opinions on it. I'm gonna do what I wanna do and help my family out. I don't need them judgin' me for it."

"I know, Two. And if it counts for anything, I think helpin' Brumly is a good idea. It'll be a quick job and then you'll have the cash you need. Just ignore them. They don't get it."

"I hear you there," he mumbled.

Mac had been the only one that supported his choice to help Brumly and Two was grateful for it. No one else seemed to understand or _want_ to understand and he was getting fed up. It was his life and he'd do what he wanted.

"Hey, you want a drink or something?"

Nodding, Two-Bit handed Mac some spare change. He turned and weaved his way past a group of young boys excitedly heading for the new game. Two turned back to the game in front of him and half-heartedly played a round. When she suddenly appeared at his shoulder, Two-Bit jumped in surprise, causing Joan to snicker at him quietly.

Two-Bit turned his back on the game and watched her as she stared in the direction Mac had disappeared in, neither of them speaking. He lit a cigarette and extended the carton to her, smirking as she took one without a word. The two of them stood, smoking silently for a few minutes. She broke the silence first, breathing out a large cloud of smoke.

"Rumor has it you're bummin' around with Brumly scum." Her voice was even, but there was an edge to it that caught Two-Bit off guard.

"Where'd you hear that?"

She smirked and took a deep drag off her cigarette. "Around."

Two-Bit shuffled uncomfortably and then stopped. Why was he feeling so uneasy, especially with her? Since the meeting at Buck's, he had done a good job convincing himself that helping Brumly out wasn't a bad thing. It wasn't like he was one of them. He needed some money and they'd offered an easy, sure thing. That's all there was to it.

"Well for your information, I ain't bummin' with them. Just givin' them a hand with somethin'. That's all."

This time Joan let out a curt laugh and glared sharply at him. "You just keep tellin' yourself that, Two-Bit. Maybe, if you say it enough, you'll start to believe it."

"What's your problem, anyways," he snapped, crossing his arms. "You don't know me and you sure as hell don't know why I do what I do. So why've you got your panties in a bunch over who I hang out with?"

She held his gaze and Two-Bit saw something there. Before he could identify it, the emotion was gone and a steely glint had replaced it.

"I don't. I don't give a shit."

Joan dropped her cigarette at his feet and turned away, not meeting his eyes. Two-Bit fought the urge to call her back, curious as to what exactly he'd seen in her eyes when she spoke about Brumly. He stood there, mulling it over, when a pair of fingers snapped in front of his face, sending him jumping away from them.

Standing in front of him was Mac, doubled over laughing. "Man, you were zonin' out on me. Never knew you to be that deep of a thinker."

"Ha ha ha." Two-Bit shoved his friend, grinning as he stumbled backwards. "You ready to hit it, man?"

"Sure," he replied, glancing after Joanie. "So, how's that thing goin'?"

It was Two-Bit's turn to laugh and he shook his head. "Shit, man. Ain't any _thing_ goin' there. Just some crazy broad."

"Aren't all broads crazy?"

The two friends chuckled loudly at that. "You could say that again."

XxX

Two-Bit sat on his porch, drinking a cold beer when she walked up. He grinned in spite of himself, seeing the clear discomfort in her step as she came up the driveway. When her eyes landed on him, she glared, but Two could see her heart wasn't in it. A small smirk was on her lips and Two-Bit felt his own grin broaden.

"You lost?"

"Not exactly. Why? You tryin' to find a way to tell me to get lost?"

He laughed at that and shook his head. "Nah. If I wanted you to leave, I'd tell you. Actually, I'm just curious as to why you're here."

Joan shifted and rubbed her arm. "I'm not really sure. I went for a walk and ended up here."

Not buying that, Two-Bit gave her a knowing look and held her gaze until she caved.

"Alright, fine. You still planning on going through with this whole Brumly deal?"

Two sighed. "Why are you so hung up on that?"

She scuffed the toe of her shoe on the ground, not meeting his eyes. For the first time since he'd met her, Joan seemed unsure of herself. It was strange to see her act that way.

"Or is it me you've got a problem with? That wouldn't exactly surprise me since none of our talks ever really end too good."

That drew a laugh out of her and Joan sat beside him on the stairs. "I don't have a problem with you, Two-Bit. It's Brumly. I hate the whole lot of them and I think you're an idiot for getting involved with them."

"Thank you?"

"Don't go through with whatever it is they want," she said earnestly. "You aren't so far in you can't get out. Just walk away from it all."

"Why are you tellin' me this?"

She glanced down at her folded hands and shrugged. "Just because. You're not like them. You hang out with good guys and you seem alright. Don't get involved with them, Two. They're lower than scum. Just stay away from them."

"And I suppose you wouldn't tell me _why_ you're taking such an interest in this," he asked, staring at her downturned face.

"No," was her quiet reply. "Just consider it, okay?"

When Joan looked up at him, Two-Bit was surprised by the amount of concern on her face. He felt himself nodding slowly and she gripped his arm in thanks. With that, she stood up and brushed off her jeans, heading for the sidewalk.

"I'll see you around, alright?"

Without waiting for his answer, she hurried down the driveway and out of sight. When she was gone, Two-Bit ran over their conversation again in his head. She knew something about Brumly and from the sounds of it, she knew something big. Even though his friends had all warned him against working with the Brumly gang, he had easily brushed off their comments. Something about what Joanie said struck him, though, and Two had a feeling he'd be running their conversation through his head several times before the meeting.

Behind him, the screen door swung open and Bonnie asked, "Who's your fri-iend?"

"Just a girl, Bon."

He turned around and saw his signature smirk on her face. "Sure. _Just_ a girl."

Two-Bit shook his head and walked past her into the house, Joan's words ringing loud in his head.

_Don't go through with whatever it is they want … Just walk away from it all._

* * *

**A/N: **So sorry for the delay. Not super long, so again my apologies. Thank you for reading!


	6. Wanted Man

**A/N:** Please ignore any typos. If you don't do it for many chapters, do take time to listen to this song and read the lyrics. It just fit the tempo of the chapter in my mind.

Thanks.

**Disclaimer:** S.E. Hinton owns _The Outsiders_ and Wolfmother owns the song "Joker and the Thief".

* * *

_I said the joker is a wanted man.  
He makes his way all across the land.  
See him sifting through the sand.  
So I'll tell you all the story,_

_About the joker and the thief of the night.  
Always laughing in the midst of power,  
Always living in the final hour.  
There is always sweet in the sour.  
_

Chapter Six

The Ribbon was teaming with people, jostling for position, hollering to their friends. It was easy to remain unnoticed though, Two-Bit realized as he lurked in the shadows behind one of the shops. The meeting with Brumly was going down at ten that night and he'd come early, wanting to scope out the spot and study the characters he was playing with.

They started to filter in slowly, slinking along with their collars up. The first couple of guys that showed up Two-Bit didn't recognize, but soon Melvin and Warren showed up and Two knew that the head honchos weren't far behind. Might as well make his presence known.

He stepped out into the light and walked towards them, whistling calmly as he moved. Their eyes all landed on him and Two-Bit felt the energy shift. He was the new guy and they were eyeing him like fresh meat. After years of battling with the Socs, though, he was able to shake it off.

"Evenin' boys. Lovely weather we're havin', huh? Warren, Mel. Good to see y'all again," he called cheerily, shaking hands with the two familiar faces in the crowd. "You gonna introduce me to the rest of your pals here?"

Warren's hawk eyes studied him closely, never blinking, before he nodded towards the waiting guys. As he was introduced, Two-Bit committed each face and name to memory. Jeff, the shifty eyed brunette. Ralph, the large and imposing muscle of the group. Craig, the dark eyed one who didn't say a word. Two nodded to each of them, showing respect while sizing them up. He felt confident in his ability to take almost any of them. Except for the Brumly's.

Speak of the devil.

The two brothers stepped out from behind the buildings, Gary silently coming over to join the group while Glenn sauntered over slowly, smirking broadly at all of them in turn. His steely eyes landed on Two-Bit last and he didn't miss the way Glenn's smirk grew.

"Glad to see everybody could make it tonight," he called out, spreading his arms out as if to embrace them all. "We don't tolerate any quitters. I'm glad to see I don't have to deal with anyone personally."

Two-Bit felt eyes turn to him, but he kept his gaze on Brumly. When no one broke the silence, the leader pressed on.

"We all know why we're here. Nothing special, just another robbery. We'll figure out who's responsible for what the night of."

"Where're we gonna hit?" Two glanced and saw that came from Craig, the shifty one.

Glenn nodded to his brother and Gary grinned darkly. "The Conneli warehouse, over on Broadway and Fifth."

Two-Bit couldn't keep the question from bursting out of his mouth. "Why knock over a warehouse? I was expectin' somethin' a little more … substantial. I mean, you don't seem like the type to pick over dresses and heels down at the strip mall."

Dark chuckles broke out amongst the group and for a moment, Two-Bit was afraid that he'd offended Glenn. Instead, he broke into a cheery grin and pointed to Two.

"You like to question the man, don't you Mathews? Ain't a thing wrong with that! I'm just pointing that out, you know. A warehouse ain't just a warehouse, you read me?"

He nodded and bit his tongue, hard. Two had a bad habit of making a joke out of any situation and he had a feeling that wouldn't be wise in company like Brumly. At least not yet. He had to earn his stripes in their company still.

"We'll meet at Buck's. Nice and inconspicuous. Be there at midnight. We'll hit 'em this Friday," Glenn added, flicking his switchblade open and shut as he spoke. "Any other questions?"

Everyone remained silent and Brumly nodded once. Apparently that was the signal that the meeting was over and the guys around Two-Bit dispersed, blending back into the shadows around them. He started off as well, ready to get out of there, when Glenn called him back.

"Mathews, just a second."

He froze and slowly turned towards the Brumly's, bracing himself for whatever came his way. A heavy hand clapped down on his shoulder while the other kept flicking the switchblade.

Open. Shut. Open. Shut.

"Listen, I'm real glad you showed tonight, Mathews. I didn't wanna have to kick the shit outta you, but hey, I do what I have to. I like you, Mathews. Don't change that."

"Well, I like you all, too. I'm afraid you'll have to buy me dinner before it gets any further than that, though."

Once more, the smart comment was out of his mouth before he could stop it and he saw the dark flash in Glenn's eyes before he started to laugh. It was a tough, gritty laugh and it gave Two-Bit the chills. There were a number of things about Brumly that set his skin crawling.

A rough hand clapped firmly on his shoulder and Glenn was staring at him, his dark eyes indiscernible. "You're a funny guy. Don't get cute, now. I really, _really_ hate cute shit."

He shoved him away roughly and motioned for Gary to join him as the two brothers retreated, their hulking figures slinking away into the night. Two-Bit took several deep breaths, steadying his nerves before heading back for his car. It was a little late to back out now. He was in it, good or bad.

XxX

"You could still walk away, ya know," Steve insisted, handing him another beer.

Two-Bit shook his head and frowned. "I don't think I can, man. Not at this point. It just feels like that meeting was it. That was the last chance to back out."

Beside him, Soda was staring intensely at the floor. He hadn't said much, just sitting and brooding. It was unusual and Two-Bit shifted uncomfortably, kicking his friend to get his attention.

"Soda, you're good and all, but I don't think you can actually stare holes in somethin'."

A loud thud sounded and the three of them jumped, glancing to the hallway. Ponyboy was standing there, anger and disbelief on his face. He'd slammed his fist into the wall and Two-Bit wondered vaguely when he had appeared.

"You're really joking right now? This isn't a fucking joke, Two-Bit. These guys are the real deal and you're just walking into it like you're hanging out with us! This is serious shit and you can't seem to wrap your thick head around that." He was shouting by the end of his speech, wide-eyed.

Soda stood up and went over to him. "Pone, listen –"

"No," he yelled, shoving away from his brother. "No one else has the guts to say it, so I did. So what? Two-Bit, don't be an idiot. Stay away from these guys."

Without another word, he stormed out of the house, letting the screen door slam behind him. Soda hesitated, glancing over at his friends.

"I ain't gonna tell you what to do with your life, Two. But this is a mistake." And with that, he headed out after Ponyboy, calling his name.

Then it was just him and Steve left, sitting on the couch without speaking. Two-Bit shifted, the tension in the air so thick he could cut it with his new blade. It made him queasy and he was starting to regret ever coming to see his friends.

"If I were you, I'd start listenin' to everybody else. Just walk away, Two," Steve muttered, staring darkly out after his best friend.

Tell me something I don't know, he thought bitterly, grabbing his coat and heading for the door. No point in saying it was too late now. He knew it was the truth and he realized that underneath it all, his friends knew it, too.

XxX

Thunder cracked overhead and Two-Bit jumped, startled out of his whirling thoughts. Cursing darkly, he resumed his staring out of the windshield of his car. It was nearly time for the job to go down and Two couldn't sit still. His fingers drummed anxiously on his bouncing leg, the silence in the car deafening. Switching on the radio, Two-Bit scanned through the stations for a song he liked. Finding none, he cursed again and shut it back off, fingers resuming their previous tap dance.

His stomach clenched as another clap of thunder sounded and he grumbled in response, thinking of all of the nights this storm could have rolled through, why did it have to be that night? It would be harder to see when they were leaving through the sheets of rain and it would be harder to hear anyone approaching the warehouse from outside. It was a bad hand all around and Two-Bit didn't like it. He was already uncomfortable with the whole thing and had been toying with the idea of skipping town for a few weeks until the heat died down.

And yet, he was there, hiding out in his car and waiting for the first signs of the Brumly crew.

He wasn't stupid, though. Two-Bit knew the difference between right and wrong. He knew the difference between the shoplifting he'd done up until then and the robbery that he was about to take place in, but he was unable to walk away. Every time he started to waver, all he could picture was his sister and mother, crying and homeless. They were depending on him. He had to get this money, for them.

A familiar red sports car caught his eye as it pulled around in the back of Buck's parking lot, hiding inconspicuously behind the shed. Moments later, several hunched figures appeared and slunk in the back door. It was show time.

Two-Bit opened the door and stepped out into the pouring rain. Electricity crackled through the air and the hair on his arms stood on end. As if he wasn't already on edge, he thought grimly, heading for the building.

He opened the door and the loudness of the party inside hit him like a fist. The music was cranked up and the people were living it up. Of course, he thought, Brumly _would_ pick the loudest party as a cover for his racket. These bums were a lot of things, but stupid wasn't one of them. They knew what they were doing and if he thought too hard about that, it scared him. Two-Bit shoved that away though and weaved through the crowd.

Glancing around, he made sure no eyes were on him before pushing his way into the back storage room. Inside was the group he'd been waiting for, all with dark grins on their faces. Glenn caught sight of him and his grin broadened.

"Mathews! The man of the evenin'. C'mon in, have a drink." He held out a drink, nodding to Two-Bit as he did so.

He gladly accepted the booze and downed half of the bottle, hoping a little bit of a buzz would take some of the tension off. The other guys chatted quietly, their voices murmurs that Two-Bit couldn't quite pick out. Glenn and Gary were talking together, probably finalizing plans, he thought. Two-Bit felt uneasy and glanced around, catching Craig staring at him, brooding in his own corner.

Smirking at him, Two hoped to catch the kid off guard, but he just kept silently staring. Craig's dark eyes never left his face. Two made a mental note not to trust that kid with anything more than his lunch money. There was something dangerous about him. Then again, he thought, there was something dangerous about every guy standing there in that semicircle. Except for him.

Once again, it hit him just how much he _didn't_ fit in with the group. These guys didn't care what happened to them or anyone else standing in their way. All they saw were the dollar signs at the end and the things they would do with the cash. While Two-Bit focused on the money he'd been promised, he couldn't help but wonder just how far he would have to go in order to get it.

"Alright, boys," Glenn called, clapping his hands together with a loud _smack_. "Let's do this. We'll take two cars, Warren's and Jeff's. Afterwards, you boys head home. Gary and me will crash here for the night and find some broads to use as alibis if we have to. Mathews, you'll be in charge of delivery. We'll have some … goods that need to be handed off. You think you can handle that?"

Two-Bit nodded. "Yeah, I can do that. Where exactly do I hafta go?"

"Jack's Bar. It's over in River King territory, but they won't bother you none. Just take the stuff to the guy in back. He'll give you cash then," Glenn instructed.

"So, that's my share?"

Glenn grinned and gave Two-Bit an exasperated look. "Now, ain't we been through this before, Mathews? What do you think?"

With that, they set into motion, all of them heading out of the back door. The rain had eased up a bit, but it was still coming down pretty heavy. Two-Bit felt a surge of adrenaline and grinned in spite of everything. This was just another rumble, he thought. Sure, it was a different place with different people around him, but the idea was the same. Get in, get what they came for, and get out. Plain and simple.

The ride there was tense, Two-Bit wedged between Craig and Melvin in the backseat of Warren's car. No one spoke, each of them going over the plan in their minds. Two-Bit thought of countless jokes he could crack, just to lighten the mood, but with one stormy look from Craig he thought it was better to remain quiet. Before he knew it, they were pulling into the warehouse lot, Brumly parking the car deep in the shadowy corner of the lot. Warren backed in next to them and all of the guys spilled out of the cars, mulling about awkwardly.

"Let's do it," Glenn muttered, clapping his brother on the back as they all headed for the door. He paused and pointed at Two-Bit. "You and Craig, wait outside. I don't want them seein' the guy in charge of delivering the stuff."

"Why does he have to stay with me," Two asked, already knowing the answer.

Glenn grinned and offered a half shrug. "I wanna make sure you don't run."

Craig smirked beside him and the group moved towards the door. The pack of them moved quietly, almost gracefully, Two-Bit noticed. For a group of thugs, they knew how to keep it quiet when they had to. And then Gary was kicking in the door, all of them filing in and hollering loudly at the people inside. Two-Bit stood out of the way, his blade out and ready in case any of the people inside came running out.

There was shouting inside and a loud thud. Every once in a while, Two-Bit could hear Glenn's voice, rumbling on the other side of the door. Craig stood motionless, tensed like a cat ready to pounce. He never spoke and Two-Bit realized he'd never even heard the kid's voice. He was a creepy one and Two had a feeling that Glenn knew how he felt. That's why he kept sticking him with the guy.

The door flew open and the guys all filed out, tearing through the rain to the cars. Gary and Ralph were lugging two large crates and the rest of the guys were sprinting empty handed, Glenn in the lead. Two-Bit took off after them and they all piled into the empty vehicles, each driver tearing out of the lot. Warren and Melvin whooped loudly, cranking their radio up with victory tunes blaring. Two-Bit had to grin at their enthusiasm.

As he sat in the backseat, he found himself studying the large crate Ralph was holding. The lid had come ajar in all of the action and he could see inside. There were several tightly wrapped packages, filled with something white. The alarms in his head began going off and Two-Bit bit his tongue. He didn't want to know. Don't ask, don't tell, he thought over and over. Maybe the packaging was white and he couldn't actually see what was inside. Maybe it was something harmless. Maybe they were selling sugar.

The more his brain worked, the more ridiculous his answers came out. He stopped himself, focusing on staring out of the window and plastering that fake smile on his face. They were still celebrating and he wasn't going to blow cover. He had to act thrilled and if anyone could act the part, he could. Two-Bit just had to focus.

XxX

"Shit. Shit, shit, shit."

As he drove, Two-Bit nervously watched his rear view mirror for any flashing lights or speeding cruisers. Glenn had loaded the two crates into the trunk of his beater and clapped him firmly on the back.

"You've got quite a load there, Mathews. You see what's in them?"

"Did you want me to see?"

That earned a smile from the thug. "That's the attitude I like from you, man. Take these to the Bar. There'll be a guy in back. He'll have the cash ready. All you have to do is give 'im the crates. Think you can manage that."

"Sure thing."

He nodded briskly and headed for the door to Buck's. "Keep your head down and nose clean. Fuzz might be rolling kinda thick for a couple of days."

And then he had been gone, leaving Two-Bit to make the long drive out to King's territory. He scanned the row of rundown buildings and finally caught a glimpse of a lively joint. Sure enough, a sign by the road read Jack's Bar, and Two-Bit pulled in. Up here, the rain had died down to a drizzle and the town was practically dead. There were a number of cars in the lot, but it had nothing on Buck's parties.

Two-Bit threw the car in park and headed around back, looking for the door that Glenn had described. His stomach clenched and a leaden weight sunk in his gut. What was he doing here? In the trunk of his car was a stash of more drugs than he'd seen in his entire life. He'd always been down for a good time and a party, but never this. This was above his paygrade and for a brief moment, he considered turning and driving back home, mission forgotten.

Then the back door was swinging open and a guy was waving him forwards with a slender, pale hand. Looking at this kid's face was like looking at a living skeleton and Two-Bit fought the urge to retch. The skeleton skulked in the shadows of the storage room and gestured impatiently.

"Do you have the crates or not?" His voice was nothing more than a rasp and Two-Bit wondered vaguely what had happened to the guy.

"In the trunk of my car."

"Bring them here, then you'll get the money."

He hurried back outside, hauling both crates into the dark room. The guy greedily poured over the stash, muttering to himself as he traced the crates with his eerily long fingers.

Two-Bit cleared his throat uncomfortably. "So, uh, the cash Brumly said you'd have … "

"Yes, yes, here," he hissed, shoving a thick wad of money into Two-Bit's hands, never letting his eyes leave his newest stuff.

Without another word, Two-Bit turned on his heel and hurried to his car. A greaser didn't run, but he sure as hell knew how to hurry. Flooring it, he peeled out of the tiny lot and let out a massive sigh of relief, a shudder running down his spine as he did so.

As Two-Bit turned his car around and headed for home, putting miles safely between him and the living skeleton, the weight in the pit of his stomach began to loosen. He had a bundle of cash in his car that was going straight to the bills that had been piling up at home. Finally, his mother could have a restful night sleep. Maybe Bonnie could get some new dresses. He could finally give them the things they deserved and if all he had to do was deliver some drugs to get it, well, he wasn't going to say no. It had been too easy.

* * *

**A/N:** So sorry for this delay. I wanted this chapter perfect so I really procrastinated on writing it. Honestly, though they're my favorite to read, I really despise writing action scenes! I apologize and hope you enjoyed it. I'm not sure about this one, but I'll see what you think.


	7. Not Down Anymore

**A/N:** Please ignore any typos. Speedy update. You're welcome!

Many thanks to **TaylorPaige24** and **FeistyFeist** for their continued support and reviews! I love hearing your feedback(:

**Disclaimer:** S.E. Hinton owns _The Outsiders_ and Gotye owns the song "I Feel Better".

* * *

_There was a time I was down, down.  
I didn't know what to do.  
I was just stumbling around, around,  
Thinking things could not improve._

_I couldn't look on the bright side,  
Of anything at all.  
That's when you gave me a call.  
Now I feel better, better, better than before.  
_

Chapter Seven

"Two-Bit, I love it! That's my favorite color and everything! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Bonnie peppered him with kisses as she gazed at the box holding her new bright purple sundress.

He beamed at her and shrugged. "Ah, no biggie. I'm glad you like it, Bon. It'll look real pretty on you, too."

"I'm gonna go try it on now!"

She darted down the hall and Ginny appeared in the kitchen doorway, smiling after her daughter. "That was real sweet of you, baby."

"Thanks for helpin' me pick it out. I ain't too good at shoppin' for girls, ya know?"

"Really? Coulda fooled me," she joked, sticking her tongue out at him. "And Two? Thank you."

He frowned in confusion. "For what?"

"I went down to pay the electric bill today and they told me I'd already paid it. The lady thought I'd lost my mind tryin' to pay twice. As a matter of fact, all of the bills are paid up to date. Unless Christmas came a bit early this year, I figured you had somethin' to do with that. Am I wrong?"

Two-Bit ducked his head and mumbled a bit. He hadn't told his mother about what he'd done to get the cash, but he couldn't deny how good it felt to see Bonnie and her finally happy and not having to worry about money for a while.

"No, you ain't wrong. You're welcome, Ma. I'm glad I could help." He stood up and kissed her on the cheek, but she grabbed his arm gently before he could walk away.

"Should I ask?"

He shook his head slowly before answering. "I don't think so, Ma. Just don't worry about it anymore, okay?"

Ginny studied him for what seemed like ages before taking his face in her hands. "I will always worry about my babies. But I trust you. Thank you, sweetheart."

Before he could answer, Bonnie came dashing back down the hallway, twirling around in her dress. His mother went over and began fussing over how pretty she was and Two-Bit just stood back and watched, grinning at both of them. If he'd had any doubts about the job he'd done, they were gone then. It had all been worth it. _They_ had always been worth it.

XxX

Two-Bit was sitting in the booth at Kirby's and took another deep sip of his milkshake when he caught sight of a familiar tuft of dark, curly hair at the register. Whistling lowly, he caught her attention and Joan turned around, searching for who had called. Upon seeing him, she rolled her eyes, but broke out into a small grin anyways. She paid the girl working behind the counter and made her way over to his table.

"Well, look who it is."

"Your favorite person in the world, I know." He grinned up at her and gestured to the empty booth. "Wanna have a seat?"

She shrugged and slid in. "Sure, why not? Even though, you know, I just finished eating and all."

"Oh yeah. Well, how 'bout dessert? On me?" He flagged down the waitress and smiled warmly up at her. "Be a sweetheart and bring a banana split, will you?"

Two-Bit turned his attention back to the girl across from him and she was smirking at him.

"What?"

Joan shook her head. "Nothing. You just know how to turn that charm on and off, don't you? What's the _real_ Two-Bit like? Behind all that, I mean."

He stared at her for a moment before shrugging. "Guess you'll just have to figure that out on your own, sweetie. What about you? You got a story?"

"No." Her answer was quick and sharp, giving her away.

"Uh huh. Well if you ever need to talk, I'm around. I hear I'm a pretty good listener," he offered, smiling at her.

She gave him a small smile of her own. "Thanks. The last year has been ... tough."

"I hear you there."

When she gave him a skeptical glance and pressed on. "No, I'm serious. We buried two good buddies last year. And another friend of mine lost his folks. My ma lost her job and the kid sister is gettin' to that age."

"Dallas Winston and that quiet kid, Johnny."

He looked up at her in surprise and she shrugged. "I knew Dallas through ... a friend. He used to always have Johnny with him. I remember reading that they died in the papers. I'm sorry about your friends."

Two-Bit shrugged and sipped on his shake.

"Your sister is Bonnie, right?"

"Just how do you know so much about me?"

She smiled. "I'm friends with Evie and her younger sister is always hanging around with her. Bonnie's a lot like you, ya know. I don't think you have to worry too much about her. She's a good kid."

"Well, thanks. I'm real proud of her. She's growin' up quick, though. Damn, is she growin' fast."

Joan laughed. "Sounds like you've done a lot for her."

He glanced at her, seeing if she was hinting at the Brumly situation, and shrugged. "She deserves it. She don't deserve second-hand clothes and cheap shoes. I want her to have everything she wants."

"I think she has that. She's awful lucky to have a brother like you."

Something in her voice caught his attention and he turned the focus back to her. "What about you? What's your family like? Any siblings?"

She was quiet, staring at her hands folded neatly in her lap. Their banana split came and she dug right in, remaining silent. Two-Bit had a feeling he'd crossed an invisible line between the two of them and was about to apologize when she finally spoke.

"I had a brother. It's just me now, though. Just my parents and me."

"I'm sorry," he muttered, feeling like a total ass. "I didn't know."

"He's not dead," she insisted, staring at him with bright eyes. "I know he's not."

"I thought you said ..."

She shook her head, waving him off impatiently. "I know, it _is_ just me. My brother ... David went missing a while back. Everyone says he's dead, but I know he's not. David isn't dead."

He stared at her, wondering how it had taken him this long to see how pretty she was. Talking about her brother brought out a wild, liveliness that he hadn't seen before. There was something pressing in her gaze and Two-Bit realized what she wanted from him. Reaching out, he grabbed her clenched hand and squeezed it gently.

"I believe you."

The relief on her face was immediate. The tension broke away and an unbelieving smile broke out. "You do? I mean, really."

Slowly, he nodded. "Well, yeah. He's your brother. You'd know if he wasn't okay, I think. Bonnie was missin' a while back, run off at the playground. Ma was hysterical thinkin' some mass murderer snatched her, but I knew she was okay. You can't explain why you feel it. You just do."

She was nodding as he spoke and her smile grew wider. "You really do believe me."

"Sure I do. Why, what do your folks think?"

The light in her face was gone as soon as it had come and she slumped back in the booth, playing with her spoon. "They think he's dead. They think _I'm_ dead."

"What d'you mean?"

Joan studied him carefully. "C'mon. I'll show you."

She got out of the booth and straightened her sweater, waiting for Two-Bit to follow her. "Where are we goin'?"

"You'll see."

ooooo

When they arrived at Joanie's house, Two-Bit couldn't help but marvel at it. On the outside, it looked like a dream house. There was the white picket fence and bushes of flowers around the outside. A large maple tree loomed over the front yard and the paint looked brand new, no chips. It looked perfect.

"Wow," he whispered, unable to help himself.

Joan's family was by no means wealthy, living only a few streets away from Two-Bit's family, but they certainly had a nice home. Much nicer than any of his other friends. She caught him staring and smirked, but it was a bitter and hard look.

"Looks boss, huh? C'mon in."

She led him up the stairs and shoved open the large door. The silence inside struck him and he glanced around uncertainly, wondering if he'd been set up. Joan reached back and grabbed his arm, pulling him along. The hallway branched off and the first room they came to was the living room. Inside, he saw a balding man watching the television set, small glasses perched on his nose.

In a chair by the window was a woman who could have passed for Joanie's older sister. She was quietly knitting something, her head bent over the work in her hand. Neither of them glanced up. Two-Bit looked at Joan and realized this was what she meant back at the diner. There was no life in this house, even though there were three people still living in it.

"Mom, Dad, this is my friend, Two-Bit. Two, these are my parents, Sam and Louise." Her voice was monotone, but carried through the room.

Neither of her parents so much as stirred. Two-Bit felt a surge of rage and opened his mouth to say something, but she was already pulling him away from them. Behind him, the sounds of the television carried on. Joanie was taking him back down the hallway into another room, this one set up like a small study. Pictures covered the walls and in nearly every one of them, a bright-eyed boy was smiling at him. There were ones of him as a child up through his late teens. This must be her brother, he thought, studying each photo.

"It's like a goddamn shrine."

It wasn't hard to see the resemblance between the siblings, both with bright hazel eyes and wild grins. In one of the frames, Joanie appeared with David. They were both laughing about something, his arm wrapped casually around her shoulders. It reminded him of pictures he had with Bonnie and a pang went through his chest as he thought of Joanie's pain.

"Let's go outside," she muttered, heading back for the door.

He followed her without a word, still trying to absorb everything around him. Once outside, she collapsed on the porch steps, lighting up a cigarette as she did so.

"I'm sorry, Joanie."

She rolled her eyes and scuffed the toe of her shoe in the dirt. "Things were good, for a long time. David kept things running. After he was gone, it wasn't so bad for a while. But he was always their favorite. He was going places. I was just the kid sister they never wanted. When he went missing, it was like I stopped existing. You know, they haven't spoken to me in almost a month."

He stared at her incredulously. "Nothing? Not even a 'good mornin', how's your day', kinda thing?"

"Nothing. David was the athlete and the genius of the family. I was a surprise." She kept her eyes on her feet and Two-Bit felt the overwhelming urge to shake her parents until their brains rattled.

"Ya know, you don't deserve it." She glanced up at him in surprise and he went on. "They don't have any right to treat you that way. You're still their kid. Just 'cause your brother's gone don't mean they oughta give up on you."

Joan smiled warmly at him and shrugged. "Thanks. I'm okay with it. Really. I just don't come home much these days. It's easier just to stay gone."

"My house ain't too far from here. Just a couple neighborhoods over, actually. The door's always unlocked, if you ever need a place to crash," he offered, suddenly feeling very self-conscious.

She squeezed his arm gently. "Thank you. And Two-Bit? Thank you for believin' me."

XxX

Two-Bit stood, smoking outside of the bowling alley, when two familiar figures made their way towards him. Mac and Ponyboy were heading towards the building from the parking lot and as they got closer, Two-Bit could see that they'd been in a fight. It was hard to tell whether they'd lost or not - Ponyboy was sulking behind and Mac was whistling cheerily in the lead.

"Hey there, Two! Glad I ran across you, man." Mac slapped hands with him firmly, his reckless grin widening. "Seems your friend here likes to get himself backed into corners."

Two gave Pony a look. "Pone, you gettin' in fights again?"

"Just one." The smart-alec remark came quickly and Two-Bit didn't have time to bite back his laugh.

He saw the look of satisfaction cross Ponyboy's face and knew that there was no point in pretending to scold him. Pony was growing up and he was able to fight his own fights. Well, Two-Bit thought, most of the time.

"So why d'you have a beauty of a shiner there, buddy," Two-Bit jabbed, grinning at his friend.

Mac waved him off. "Ah, this ain't nothin'. But if anybody asks, I knocked the big guy out. This kid here was just an innocent bystander."

Two-Bit must have looked confused, because Mac went on. "There were some cops around and I remembered you tellin' me the kid has to keep his nose clean. Figured the least I could do was make sure he didn't get his nose ripped off while I was standin' there."

"Hey, man, thanks," Two-Bit said honestly, extending a hand. "I really appreciate it and I know his brother's will, too. Pone, you better be thankin' him from here to Texas."

"That's not that far, Two," Pony chided, grinning in spite of himself. "And don't worry, I've been sayin' thanks the whole way here."

Mac was still grinning cheerfully. "Well I'd love to stay and shoot the breeze, but I gotta get goin'. Hot date, you know. I'll catch up with y'all later, I'm sure. Two-Bit, as always. Ponyboy, keep that nose clean for me!"

The three boys shook hands and Mac headed back towards his car, still whistling as he walked. Two-Bit chuckled as he watched his friend go and then turned his attention back to Ponyboy.

"So, anything I oughta know about this big guy pickin' a fight with you?"

Ponyboy shrugged before shaking his head. "Nah. It was really okay, Two. Just a stupid argument."

"About what?"

"Nothin'!" Something in the way his cheeks were turning red caught Two-Bit's attention and his smile widened.

"It's a girl, ain't it?"

Pony glanced up, wide-eyed. "What? How'd - no! There's no girl."

Two-Bit shook his head in disappointment. "Oh come now. We're all friends here! Who is she? I won't rat on ya, you know."

"Look, she's just a friend from school, alright? He was talkin' about her and he was sayin' things he shouldn't have. I told him to knock it off. That's it. She doesn't even know I exist, okay? I just didn't want to listen to him talk all big when I knew it wasn't true."

"Ponyboy, you're a real class act, man. I'm proud of you."

He glanced up at Two in surprise before breaking out into a smile. "Thanks, Two."

"You keep bein' a gentleman like that and I guarantee you, she'll not only notice you, but she won't be able to tear herself away. Believe me, buddy. Guys like you are hard to come by these days."

The wistful look that came over Ponyboy's face made him want to laugh, but he thought it would be mean, so he bit his tongue. It was kinda funny to watch the kid that had always been tripping over himself and blushing like crazy when he even saw a cute girl willing to take a hit for one. Broads seemed to change everything, he thought with a wry grin.

"C'mon, we'll play a few games up at the arcade 'fore headin' to your place for the night. My treat."

Pony laughed and shook his head, following Two-Bit to his car. "Ya know, if I'd known you'd react this way to me gettin' in a fight, I woulda done it a lot sooner."

"Don't get wise, kiddo! I can still tell your big bro and you and I both know that ain't the heat you want."

They shared a knowing look and chuckled. Things were finally starting to get back to normal.

XxX

Steve and Soda were taking a break to shuffle the cards, so Two-Bit headed into the kitchen for a snack. It was Friday night and instead of going out, they'd decided on staying in and having a poker night at the Curtis' house. Two was just ecstatic they'd remembered to tell him. As he grabbed a handful of chips, he saw Ponyboy slip out of the backdoor and light up a smoke on the back porch. Grinning, Two-Bit snuck over to where his friend was, quiet as a cat.

He clapped a hand firmly on Ponyboy's shoulder and grumbled, "What the hell d'you think you're doin' out here?"

Pony whirled around, wide-eyed, and Two-Bit knew he thought Darry had caught him smoking again. Two-Bit howled with laughter, doubled over at the look on his friend's face.

"Dammit, Two-Bit! That ain't funny! Nearly gave me a heart attack," he hissed, shoving his friend.

"Nah, man. That smoke might, though. I thought you quit?"

He shrugged and took a drag. "I did. Guess I couldn't stay away too long. Stress, ya know?"

"Stress? What d'you have to be stressed about? It's summertime! Live it up, kiddo!"

Pony gave him a strange look and then dropped his gaze. "Yeah, well you sure have lived it up, haven't you?"

Two-Bit sighed and wrapped an arm around the youngster's shoulders. "Listen, everything is over. I'm done with Brumly and they know it. That was a one time thing. We all got what we wanted out of the deal and so I'm done. You don't gotta worry 'bout that, alright? Have I ever lied to you?"

"No, but they're not like us. Two, they're real hoods. And I don't mean Tim Shepard hoods. I mean one step from prison, hoods." He was looking earnestly at his friend and Two-Bit was struck by just how young Ponyboy was.

"Pone, listen. I ain't gonna lie to you. I'm done with them, okay? Everything is fine now and it's gonna be fine. I promise."

His friend studied him carefully for a moment before shrugging. "Yeah, I guess you're right. What would they want with a bum like you now, anyhow?"

Two-Bit grinned and shook his head. "Hey, now! Watch who you're callin' bum, pal! Don't forget, you're guilty by association!"

The two of them headed back instead, still chuckling. From the dining room, it was clear that no progress had been made on the dealing of the cards as Steve and Soda were bickering loudly. Pony shook his head, but smiled anyways, heading for the living room. He curled up on the couch and stuck his nose back in a well-creased book. Two-Bit grinned and headed for the table.

"Alright, gimme the cards!"

Steve gave him a dark look and Soda laughed at his buddy. "Oh, c'mon, Stevie! Lighten up! We ain't gettin' nothin' done, might as well let someone else deal it out."

"Yeah, but how do I know he ain't gonna cheat?"

Two-Bit put a hand to his chest, feigning outrage. "Me? A cheat? Never, my good man!"

He dealt out the cards quickly and the game was once more underway. After a while, it became clear who the winner was going to be and Two-Bit couldn't help but laugh loudly.

"Oh! Look who wins again? Man I am on fire tonight!" Two-Bit scooped up his winnings and laughed loudly as his friends stared in wonder.

"Geez, Two. You been practicin', huh," Soda asked, a grin on his face.

They'd been playing poker for nearly an hour and other than the first round, he'd won every hand. It was a damn good feeling to be on top of things again and it seemed that things with the guys were finally turning around, too.

"Nah, he just cheats his way through, that's all," Steve grumbled, his usual surly attitude present.

In the living room, Elvis was blasted on full volume and even Darry was humming along, reading his paper in the chair. Ponyboy kept tossing pieces of popcorn at his big brother from his spot on the couch, snickering behind his hand and waiting to see how long he could get away with it. Two-Bit grinned and shook his head at his young friend.

"Listen, this next hand, I'll give y'all your money back if you even _try_ to beat me. I mean c'mon, ya gotta at least make an effort!"

Steve punched him lightly. "Man, shut up! I can beat your sorry ass. I don't need any handouts."

"Yeah, we'll take you," Soda agreed, watching Ponyboy and laughing.

Then, all at once Ponyboy was pelted with a fistful of popcorn, Darry laughing loudly as he did so. "What, you think I'm that slow, kiddo? I don't think so!"

"Ah, c'mon man! It's everywhere!"

"Shoulda thought of that 'fore you started chuckin' it everywhere," Darry retorted, still laughing to himself as he got up to grab another beer. "Anybody want another round?"

Three hands shot up and the bottles were passed around, everyone letting loose and taking deep swigs of their beers. As the cards were being dealt out, Darry grabbed Pony off the couch and wrestled him to the ground, putting his baby brother in a headlock, both of them laughing loudly. Soda was watching them, obviously relieved that his brothers were finally coming together and no longer fighting. While he was distracted, Steve took advantage of his friend and stole some of his cards, much more stealthily than he used to. Two-Bit leaned back in his chair and grinned, taking it all in. For the first time in a long time, things with his friends were turning around and he wasn't going to question it. He was just happy to be back in the gang.

* * *

**A/N:** I have a lot of people reading my chapters and hardly anyone giving feedback. I'd really appreciate hearing what you're thinking so far. Thanks again.


	8. Walking the Line

**A/N:** Please ignore any typos. Read the lyrics for this one and the next chapter. You're welcome for updating so soon ... I felt generous after making you wait for Chapter 6 for so long.

**Disclaimer:** S.E. Hinton owns _The Outsiders_ and Rufus Wainwright owns the song "Nobody's Off the Hook".

* * *

_See you looking so sad,  
Trying to live your life in style.  
Well that's ok, you ain't no crook  
'Cause nobody's off the hook._

_'Cause life will take that little heart,  
And bring you to your knees.  
Threatening to break it for the final time,  
And you'll believe it, yes, you will believe it.  
But look, nobody's off the hook.  
_

Chapter Eight

Joan laughed loudly and Two-Bit felt his stomach flip. Things had been going real well with her the past few weeks and Two was starting to realize just how much he enjoyed her company. Ever since she had opened up to him about David, a weight seemed to lift from her shoulders and Two-Bit was starting to see the reckless Joanie that had been hidden before.

And he liked it.

"So, she gave me a warnin', told me not to do it again, then gave me some money for the arcade. It's how she's been ever since I can remember," he said, telling her about his mother.

She smiled warmly. "I'd like to meet your mom. She sounds real sweet."

"She's great. I don't think I oughta let you meet her, though."

"Why not?"

He grinned at her and elbowed her gently. "She'd like you too much! Then she'd be on my case all the time and it would just be another attempt at gettin' me to be a better citizen."

Another laugh burst out of her, drawing one from Two-Bit as well. "You're not a 'bad' citizen," she reasoned, pretending to think hard. "You just have some … flaws."

"Oh I do, do I? Enlighten me, Miss Lawrence! What are my terrible, awful flaws?"

"My lips are sealed." She pretended to lock them and threw away the imaginary key.

Two-Bit laughed heartily and elbowed her again, this time knocking her off of the sidewalk. "Good choice, sweetheart."

Joanie came back, shoving him from the curb, laughing the entire time. The two of them were soon out of breath and stumbled along the sidewalk like a couple of drunks. Two-Bit realized he hadn't laughed that hard in a long time. The thought made him smile even wider.

They eventually reached Joanie's house and he could see her staring at him unhappily, clearly not ready to go in yet. He decided to distract her.

"Is that a tire swing in your yard?"

She glanced over in the direction he was pointing and beamed, nodding. "Yup. David nearly broke his neck climbin' that tree to fasten it up there, but he did it. Shit, we used to play on that for hours."

"Race ya!" And with that Two-Bit took off running for it, laughing as she shouted behind him.

"Not fair! Cheater!"

"Why does everyone call me a cheater," he hollered as he reached the swing, sticking his legs through the tire. "C'mon, losers have to push the winners!"

Joan stuck her tongue out and him and shook her head. "I don't think so! 'Sides, the people who _own_ the tire swing get the first ride. How did you not know that?!"

He rolled his eyes. "Now you're just makin' rules up."

"Yeah, well, if you wanna ride that at all I'd cooperate."

The two of them had a silent standoff, her with her arms folded and foot tapping and him with a wide grin and a cocked eyebrow. Eventually he gave in, sighing dramatically as he climbed off the swing.

"Alright, alright. Don't ever say I didn't do nothin' for ya!"

She grinned and climbed on, grabbing the rope tightly. "And no little pussy pushin' either. This thing better get high or you're in for it!"

Two-Bit chuckled and shoved her, hard. Her laugh made him feel warm inside and he thought that if he could freeze any moment in time that just might be it. Just the two of them, acting like kids. It felt good.

After what seemed like ages, the sun started to go down and the two of them started losing their energy. They sat on the grass, talking quietly and laughing. Two-Bit hadn't thought about anything else in hours. Nothing but Joanie and how good it felt to be with her.

Two-Bit stared intensely at her as she sat close to him, taking in every freckle across her nose and the tiny scar above her lip. He couldn't take his eyes off of her and he felt himself leaning in, closer to her than he had ever dared to be. Joanie finally looked up and he could see realization in her eyes just before their lips met, briefly. It was one of the sweetest tastes he'd ever experienced. And then it was over.

Before he had time to say a word, Joan reached out and slapped him. Hard. By the time he registered what had happened, she had disappeared back into her house, the door slamming loudly in his face. Two-Bit sat, stunned. He knew she had walls built up, yes, but he never expected her to hit him. And he never expected it to hurt. Sighing, he stood up and brushed grass off of his jeans. With one last glance at her house, he started walking away with his hands in his pockets.

He realized that he looked like a dog with his tail between his legs, but he couldn't bring himself to care. They'd had one of the best afternoons together and he just fucked it up. Two knew that he had feelings for Joanie and he had known for a while. But what the hell was he supposed to do now?

She ain't Kathy, a tiny voice in his head spoke up. She doesn't move that fast. Just take it easy. Baby steps.

"Baby steps," he repeated quietly, kicking at a bottle in the gutter.

XxX

Mac added another fry to the top of the tower he and Steve were building, moving slowly so he didn't knock it over. Two-Bit snickered at the look of intensity on his friends face and outright laughed at Steve as his tongue poked out of the corner of his mouth, the epitome of concentration.

"Geez, it ain't like you're takin' a test at school! Just a french fry tower." He reached out to grab one and was swatted away by Mac.

"Don't you dare, Mathews! You might lose a finger."

"Or a hand," Steve grumbled, cautiously pulling his hand away from the pile.

He reached out to grab his water and knocked it all over the table, sending Mac jumping out of the way. Two-Bit held his sides as he laughed loudly, watching the fries topple over. Steve cussed loudly as he waved for a waitress to bring more napkins and Two-Bit had to wipe tears out of his eyes. Something about a pissed off Steve struck his funny bone on more than one occasion.

His surly friend elbowed him sharply, but a grin of his own was threatening to appear. "You shut up, Two."

"Sure, sure."

Soda had a date that evening, so the other guys headed to the Ribbon for a night out. Darry and Pony had declined, opting to go to a movie in town. Things hadn't been uneventful, though, Two-Bit thought with a grin. As they mopped up the table, their waitress gave them their bill. Mac picked it up and whistled, laying it back down. Steve simply slid it towards him and smirked.

"Here ya go! Since you thought it was so funny, it's your treat tonight."

Two-Bit shrugged and grabbed the bill. "Sure thing, Steve-oh."

It was Mac's turn to grin and he wagged his eyebrows. "So what all have you been doin' with your uh, income? Blowin' it all, I hope."

"Takin' broads like you two out to dinner, mostly," he retorted with a grin. "I been spendin' on three things. Bills, cars, and women."

Steve's surly look was back, but he remained quiet. It was clear that he still didn't approve of the entire situation with Brumly, yet at the same time he seemed to realize there was nothing to be done. Two-Bit appreciated his concern and his silence.

On the other hand, Mac seemed ecstatic. "Good for you, man! Live it up, that's what I say."

"Speakin' of cars, when're you gonna bring yours by the DX," Steve asked, pointing a fry in his direction. "Me an' Soda were gonna replace those brakes and look at your engine. _Again_."

"Maybe on Friday I'll swing by," he considered, sipping his soda.

Mac let out a massive burp and sat back, contentedly patting his stomach. "Well I hate to say it, but I gotta get up in the mornin'. Work, ya know."

Two-Bit waved impatiently, but pulled out his cash. "Alright, alright. We can go."

The three guys headed out to Two-Bit's car, Steve still grumbling about spilling his water. Mac was laughing good-naturedly and pointed at his clearly damp pants.

"Hey, man! At least you're not goin' around lookin' like you pissed yourself."

That earned a rare, but genuine laugh out of Steve. They climbed into Two-Bit's car and he headed for home. Mac cranked up the radio and sang along, badly off-key. Steve moaned in the back, pretending to cover his ears in pain. It was an all-around great night.

Coming to the top of the large hill, Two-Bit let off the brake and grinned at the feeling of flying. That was one of his favorite parts of going to the Ribbon – the ride back. Up ahead was the blind curve and it had both of his passengers full attention.

Mac was whooping loudly, hands out the window. In the backseat, Steve wasn't so enthusiastic.

"Jesus, Two, you're gonna kill us all!"

"No way, man! Ain't you never been on a roller coaster?"

He groaned and shook his head. "Sure, but not one that _you_ were drivin'!"

Two-Bit chuckled, but put on his brakes. "Alright, alright. Big baby."

"So, Two. I talked to Joanie earlier," Mac interjected, bringing himself back in from the window.

He rolled his eyes and sunk into his seat a bit lower. "So?"

"So? She told me she slapped the shit outta you and you didn't think to tell me!"

That had Steve's attention and he sat forward with interest. "Wait, what? Two, you didn't mention this! You gotta tell us when broads do stuff like that. We can laugh when it happens, not afterwards."

"Ha ha," he replied sarcastically. "Look it was a misunderstandin', that's all. I'll patch it up with her. Anyways, Mac I meant to ask you, how'd you ever meet her?"

He shrugged and started staring at his hands. "I was good friends with her brother. When he … well, I sort of felt like I oughta look out for her. For him."

"I'm sorry, man."

"Don't worry about it," Mac waved off. "I think she's finally startin' to let it go."

Silence followed his words and Two-Bit felt another pang of guilt about putting a move on Joan. He wanted to make it right and knew full well it was better to do that sooner instead of later. Steve cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Enough with the buzz kill, man. I almost prefer this guy's singing."

Mac chuckled and gave Steve a sympathetic look. "Oh, you shouldn't have said that, Randle."

Sure enough, he turned up the dial on the radio and sang along even louder. Yet even as his friends were joking around, Two-Bit couldn't completely tear his thoughts away from Joan and the fact that even though he knew it had screwed things up with her, he didn't regret kissing her. Not one bit.

XxX

"C'mon, Bonnie! We ain't here to buy all the sweets they got," Two-Bit groaned, impatiently tapping his foot.

They were running low on food, so Two-Bit had offered to take Bonnie shopping so their mother could put in some extra hours at her job. Much to his dismay, his sister was insisting on studying every box of sweet treats the market had to offer before selecting the one she wanted the most. She knew he hated her dawdling and Two realized that was exactly why she did it.

"Well alright, if we waste all of our time here then I guess we won't have time to swing through the DQ on the way home and grab some ice cream before Ma gets home."

Her eyes narrowed and she glanced over at him in an impeccable impersonation of himself. "You mean it?"

"Would I lie to you?"

Bonnie laughed cheerfully and shook her head, tossing the box of cookies into the cart. "Nope. You'd better take me, though. If not I'll tell Ma."

He scoffed. "What, you'll tell her I _didn't_ get you more ice cream that'll just rot your teeth?"

She stuck her tongue out at him in retort and he grinned, knowing he'd won. Two-Bit zipped around the corner with his cart, whistling as he did it, before he crashed into someone. As he went to apologize, he caught sight of who it was, the apology dying on his lips. Bonnie bumped into him from behind and peeked around him, confused.

"Why'd we stop?"

"Yeah, Two. Why'd you stop? Sounded like fun to us," Warren sneered, arms crossed over his chest.

Ralph stood slightly behind him, looming silently over them. Two-Bit glanced between the two of them and felt himself tense up as Warren's gaze landed on Bonnie. He shifted so she was completely behind him and stood up to his full height.

"Why don't you go out to the car, Bon." It wasn't a question and he hoped that she heard the _don't argue_ tone in his voice.

She must have and Bonnie disappeared without another word, darting down the aisle and out of the store. Two-Bit breathed a small sigh of relief, knowing she was away from the immediate danger, but he also had a feeling things were far from safe. Why else would Warren and Ralph show up?

"Can I help you boys?"

Ralph leered at him and nodded. "You're in some deep shit, Mathews. You're gonna need a shovel to get outta this."

"Easy there, big fella. Don't strain your brain. I let your boss know I only intended on workin' for him once. It was a one-time deal. I'm done now."

He tensed as Ralph lunged forward a bit, but Warren put a hand on the big guy's arm to steady him. "Easy there, Ralphie. Well from the sounds of it, Glenn doesn't seem to see it that way. He wants to talk to you. Tomorrow night at seven. Meet him at his place up in Maple Ridge. He'll call you with the address tomorrow."

"And what if I say no?"

Warren considered it for a moment and shrugged. "Was that your sister, Mathews? She's real cute, ya know."

Without thinking, Two-Bit had Warren by the collar, the edges of his vision going red. "You even think about her and I'll fuckin' end you, man. Don't even think about goin' there. You read me? Stay the fuck away."

Even though he had him pinned, Warren was still grinning down at him and even motioned for Ralph to stay back. It was clear that he wasn't threatened and that set Two off even more. He was in a rage, wishing more than anything that Warren would take a swing so he could justifiably beat the shit out of him. But no such luck.

"What a temper. Just remember what I said. You could say no to Glenn, sure. But I wouldn't. Not if I wanna keep that pretty young lady safe." His voice was low, dripping with venom and Two-Bit fought the urge to retch.

He shoved away from Warren and clenched his fists tightly at his sides. "I'll be there. But if anything, and I mean _anything_ happens –"

Warren waved him off impatiently. "Yeah, yeah. Grind my bones for your bread kinda deal. Whatever. See you tomorrow, Mathews."

The two of the slunk off, slipping out of the back door and leaving Two-Bit fuming behind them, all thoughts of shopping gone from his mind. He had done what they wanted, taking their drugs and selling them to the creepy guy at the pier. He hadn't ratted them out and he hadn't asked too many questions. He'd done everything they asked so what more could they want from him?

"Two-Bit?"

Her tiny voice startled him so badly, he whirled around, ready to give it to whoever had snuck up on him. Bonnie jumped away, eyes wide. He let out a gust of breath and reached out for her.

"Shit, Bonnie, I'm sorry. C'mere. Were you there the whole time?"

She hugged him tightly and he felt her head shake against his chest. "No, I went out and used the payphone. I called up to the DX and told Steve some guys showed up and wanted to talk to you. He sounded pretty mad. Is everything okay?"

Swallowing his rage, he forced a smile for her. "Yep, everything's fine. C'mon, let's buy this junk and get outta here."

"You still gonna buy me ice cream?"

Two-Bit glanced around the store, searching for any other signs of Brumly or his goons. Just because he couldn't see them, didn't mean they weren't there. He was willing to bet there were more eyes on him than he ever would have imagined.

"I dunno, Bonnie … I'm sorry. Why don't you pick out a flavor here you'd like and we'll eat it at home? I promise I'll take you another time."

She studied him carefully and when she spoke, she was quiet, but Two-Bit could hear the fear. "It's those guys, isn't it? You don't wanna see them again."

He put an arm protectively around her shoulders. "Don't worry about them, you read me? They aren't gonna bother you."

"But are they gonna bother _you_?"

"Everything is gonna be just fine." He kissed her nose and then nudged her gently. "C'mon, let's go grab some ice cream and head home. I'll even let you pick what we watch on TV."

Bonnie gave him another searching look, but grabbed the cart and made her way back up the aisle, heading for the ice cream. Two-Bit followed her slowly, clenching and relaxing his fists. The conversation with Warren had him on edge and he wasn't going to take Bonnie anywhere else that they might be watching. Or listening.

He felt the overwhelming sensation that he was being watched and this time, he didn't try to shake it. They weren't alone and Two-Bit was starting to realize that no place was truly safe.

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks again. I really liked this chapter and I'm quite excited for Chapter 9. Possibly another speedy update?


	9. Stay Alive

**A/N:** Please ignore any typos. **Again, really good song**. Listen to it and read the lyrics. Very applicable. I listened to it while writing.

**Disclaimer:** S.E. Hinton owns _The Outsiders_ and Michael Jackson owns "Beat It".

* * *

_They told him don't you ever come around here.  
Don't wanna see your face, you better disappear.  
The fire's in their eyes and their words are really clear  
So beat it. Just beat it._

_You have to show them that you're really not scared.  
You're playin' with your life, this ain't no truth or dare.  
They'll kick you and they'll beat you,  
And they'll tell you it's fair, so beat it._

Chapter Nine

Two-Bit circled the block again, scoping out every angle of the Brumly house. He wondered vaguely whether or not they were stupid enough to give him their true home address, but he soon realized they weren't. As he watched, a woman and a young boy came out, holding hands and heading up the street. They had give him one of their members addresses. Two-Bit smirked grimly and had to hand it to Brumly. They weren't idiots. Not like he'd previously thought.

There were a few cars in the driveway and a glance at the clock in his car told him it was time to head in. He took a few steadying breaths and parked in the road. Moving slowly, relaxed. He'd learned early on in life when you were scared it was best to act as calm as possible. So he moved with deliberate patience, feeling eyes on him the entire time. The hair on the back of his neck was on end and he had a feeling whatever was waiting for him inside wasn't good.

As he walked, his mind raced through everything that had happened from his talk with Gary in jail up until the previous day's encounter with Warren. Nothing stuck out to him and he shrugged it off, loosening the tension in his shouders. He reached out and rang the doorbell, throwing on his characteristic smirk and waited. Inside, he heard heavy footsteps coming and he found himself staring up at Ralph, leering at him.

"Well hey there," he grumbled, still leering. "C'mon in. We been waitin' for ya."

"Glad to hear that, buddy." Two-Bit clapped him on the arm and headed inside, taking deep breaths and looking around him.

The house was dark and dingy, but it was clear a woman lived there and tried to make it as nice as she could. They passed a living room of sorts and Two-Bit had a quick glance inside. There was a cabinet with a few random knick-knacks and a tattered couch covered with a crocheted blanket.

Ralph grabbed his shoulder, hard, and steered him to the left. They entered a den, darker than the other rooms, and Two-Bit was surprised by the lack of people. Glenn sat behind the desk, spinning a pen cheerfully on the tabletop. Gary was sitting on the edge of the desk playing with his knife. In the corner, sulking in the shadows was Craig. He stared out at Two-Bit with his catlike eyes. The only other people there were Ralph and Two-Bit. Maybe it's not so bad, he thought hopefully.

"Mathews," Glenn intoned, sounding disappointed. "Mathews, I really liked you, man. I had really hoped we could work together. But then you had to fuck up. And now? Now we gotta deal with it."

A sinking feeling hit him and Two-Bit had the terrifying thought that he wouldn't walk out of there. He'd never be heard from again. They would just get rid of him and no questions would be asked. Glenn was watching him carefully and shook his head.

"I'm not gonna off you, Mathews. You've got something of mine and until I get that, I need you in one piece. So you see, it wouldn't be in my best interest to waste you. Not now, anyways."

"I don't understand," Two-Bit said, trying to keep the shaking out of his voice. "I don't have nothin'."

Gary chuckled from behind his brother and cracked his knuckles anxiously. Two-Bit swallowed thickly but kept his eyes on Glenn. He was the one he feared more than the others.

"I heard that somewhere, too," Glenn replied, still pacing slowly. "See, you still have our money. We want it now."

Stunned, Two-Bit didn't know what to say. Their money? It had been his share. They told him that. Take the money to the pier and it was his.

"You told me t-that was my share."

This time Glenn outright laughed and Two knew he was in deep then. Much deeper than he'd originally thought.

"Oh, Mathews. You really do crack me up. Which is why this really pains me to have to do. I mean it. I liked you. You're a funny guy."

Two-Bit never saw it coming. The right hook to the gut took every ounce of air out of him and he fell to his knees, gasping. Gary had been subtly moving closer and while he'd been preoccupied with Glenn, he'd struck. From the floor, he glared up at Glenn through watering eyes.

"See, I never said you could have the money. Think. Think real hard, buddy. I told you to hold it. Then I hear around town that you're blowing our cash and I realize that you two-timed me. Two-Bit, you're two-timin' me." He kicked out, catching Two in the back with his hard boot.

He took the hit and cringed, pain screaming up his spine. Yet through the pain, he remembered clearly the answers he'd gotten from Brumly. They were never straight answers, instead he'd turned it back on Two. _"What do you think, Mathews?"_ That had been his line. Shit. Shit, shit, shit.

"Alright," he wheezed, holding up a hand. "I'll get your money for ya. I just need some time."

Glenn groaned and shook his head. "Well that's peachy, but see we want our cash now. I'm not feelin' all that generous, hearin' you're stealing our cash. I don't know if I should give you any time at all, Mathews. Shoot, I could head on over to your place now and just collect it."

"I'll get it," he moaned, struggling to stand. "I swear to it."

They studied him carefully, four sets of eyes taking him in. Two-Bit's breathing was ragged and he thought the worst was over.

Pointing at him, Glenn said, "Alright, Mathews. Only 'cause I think you're an honest guy. I'm doin' you a favor here. I'll give you some time. You don't have it on you now obviously, so I'll give you some time to get it. I'm a fair guy, see?"

Two-Bit gave him a thankful look and nodded. "Yeah. Thanks, man. Really. I'll get a job and get you the cash. Real soon."

"Be sure you do. I'll be keepin' an eye on things, Mathews. And if they're not goin' the way I want 'em to, I may pay you another visit." He stared darkly at him. "And Mathews? You don't want to see me again."

He nodded. "Understood."

Glenn started for the door and Two-Bit, wiping the sweat from his face, made to follow him. Ralph grabbed his arm in a vicelike grip and chuckled, a deep, eerie sound.

"Oh come on, Mathews. That wasn't much of a lesson learned. You aren't off the hook that easy," Glenn growled out before shutting the door, leaving Two-Bit alone with Ralph and Gary.

Shit.

"Now, who was it you was you callin' stupid yesterday," Ralph asked, still grinning ominously at him.

The hits started coming and after a while, Two-Bit just stopped counting.

XxX

Wincing, he glanced in his rear view mirror and took in his appearance. Between the Ralph and Gary, Two was thanking his lucky stars that nothing seemed to be broken. He looked and felt like shit, but that was better than busted ribs or a concussion. He'd gotten off easy.

As he drove, he passed his street and went straight to the Curtis' house. There was no way he was going to show up at home looking the way he did. His mother would have a heart attack and Bonnie would burst into tears. He couldn't stand to see the looks on their faces. Not yet. Instead, he was going to the only people he could count on to patch himself up and think about how he was going to dig himself out of the grave he'd dug.

He pulled into the driveway and groaned as he swung himself out of the car, pain burning like fire through his entire body. On the porch, Soda was too far away to see what he looked like, and he cat-called to his friend.

"Jesus, Two. Age ain't agreein' with ya. You walk slower'n my grandpa used to."

Two-Bit flipped him the bird, winded from the walk. When he was close enough, Soda got a good look and swore loudly before going into the house and calling for Darry. He limped up the stairs and waved his friends off, embarrassed.

"Get in the house and we'll patch you up. Shit, Two-Bit did you get in a fight with a bear?"

Despite the pain, he grinned. "You could say that, I suppose."

They got him in the house and he sat at the kitchen table, catching his breath while Soda dug through the first aid kit. Once he could breathe again without his lungs feeling like they were filled with fire, he grabbed the stuff from Soda and shook his head.

"I'll do it, I don't mind. I wouldn't have showed up 'cept I didn't want Ma and Bonnie seein' me like this. Figured I'd clean up here and then head home," he explained, pouring alcohol on cuts he'd acquired and hissing as they stung.

Soda was staring at him, taking in everything and Two-Bit could feel the anger simmering beneath the surface. He bit back the urge to snap at them and reminded himself that they didn't have to help him. They were his friends. They were just trying to help.

On the other hand, Darry was waiting until he was done patching himself up before interrogating him. As soon as the kit was closed, Darry was waiting with an expectant look. Two-Bit sighed wearily, feeling ten years older than he had when he woke up that morning.

"Can I get a beer, Soda?"

His friend nodded grimly and disappeared into the kitchen, slamming the refrigerator door a bit harder than necessary. Two-Bit looked up and Darry and shrugged.

"I dunno what to say, Superman. I really don't."

Darry looked at him in surprise. "You can say what happened, that's a start! What the hell happened to you?"

Sighing, he told them everything, starting at the beginning up until the point that he'd shown up on their porch. Soda and Darry remained quiet and when he was finished speaking the only sound was the clock on the wall. He waited for it, the impending explosion he knew would come. Only it came from an unexpected source.

"You stupid son-of-a-bitch." Steve glared at him from the doorway, having overheard the whole thing. "You did the job without ever even gettin' the confirmation the money was yours? What the hell were you thinkin'? I told you -"

"There it is," Two-Bit exclaimed, rising from the chair and pointing in grim victory. "You've been dyin' to say that, haven't you Steve? You've just been sulkin' around waitin' for the chance to say 'I told you so'. Well here it is! Congratu-fuckin'-lations, Steve! You were right. You were fuckin' right. Are you happy now?"

"Guys," Soda interjected, trying to stop the fight.

Steve held up a hand. "No, Soda, don't you take up for this guy! He knew! He knew goin' into it that these were criminals. I fuckin' told you he wasn't no Shepard or low level JD, didn't I? You knew, damnit! You knew you were gettin' in some deep shit and you still didn't think to make sure everything was clear before you signed up? You asshole!"

"Oh, right. Like I had much of a damn choice, Randle," he hollered, ignoring the cries of pain in his chest and gut. "You know damn well I had to do it. I had to get the money."

He sneered at Two and shook his head. "Yeah, you sure got that money alright. Was it worth it, Two-Bit? Was it fuckin' worth it?"

Two-Bit whirled around and barked out a laugh. "You tryin' to tell me my family _ain't_ worth fightin' for? I'd do it again for them."

"Then you're even dumber than I thought." He spoke lowly, glaring at Two-Bit.

Rushing forward, Two-Bit lunged at him. Steve was ready and had his hands up, but Soda and Darry were already between them, Darry pulling Two away and Soda grabbing Steve.

"Look, let's just relax, alright? No need to get angry. Just calm down and we'll sort it out," Darry reasoned, a steadying hand on Two's shoulder.

"No, I don't need your damn charity," Two-Bit huffed, shrugging him off angrily. "Steve made it pretty clear I'm just the dumbass y'all have been totin' around. I know when to make myself scarce."

Soda reached out to him, a pained look on his face. "Two-Bit, he didn't mean -"

"Let him go," Steve hissed. "He needs to learn sometime. You can't be so damn naive, Two-Bit."

"Fuck you."

He hit the door and didn't look back, striding quickly to his car and heading for home. His lungs were burning and his ribs weere searing, but he ignored them. That fuckin' Randle had balls, he gave him that much. He had no right to question Two-Bit's family. He had no right to question him. It was his life and he'd done a fine job running it off of the tracks. He didn't need his friends pointing it out.

ooooo

Once home, Two-Bit tried his best to avoid his sister and mother. He hurried down to his bedroom and closed the door tightly, changing out of his bloody clothes and throwing on some clean sweats. The more time passed, the worse he felt about his fight with Steve. He was the one real link Two-Bit still had to the gang and he'd done a pretty good job burning that bridge. But Steve had taken one shot too many at him and Two-Bit just didn't want to deal with it. Not now. Maybe not ever.

"Two-Bit? Was that you?" Bonnie's voice carried down the hall and Two-Bit swore loudly. "What're you doin' down here?"

The door to his bedroom slowly started to creak open and he hurried over, grabbing the handle and closing it again. "Uh, I'm just changin', Bon. Be out in a few."

From the other side of the door he could hear her shuffling her feet, but she wasn't going anywhere. Damn her stubborn streak, he thought. Her voice was muffled, but he could hear the concern in her voice when she spoke.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Bonnie! Just gimme a few minutes!"

There was silence on the other side of the door and Two-Bit thought she'd given up and left. Relieved, he let go of the door just in time for her to barge her way through. She'd learned more than one trick from him and he was beginning to regret teaching her. Bonnie looked at him with shocked eyes, her mouth forming the perfect "o" as she stared. Two-Bit felt like an animal at the zoo, but he deserved whatever she was about to give it. So he waited.

"Two-Bit, your face," she whispered, reaching out to gently touch his bruises cheek. "Does Ma know?"

She saw the answer on his face before he could speak and she hollered, "Ma! You need to come here."

"Bonnie, why the hell would you do that," he hissed, angrily turning away from her and searching for a way out.

"You lied to me, Two-Bit. They did come back. They did bother you." There was a quiver in her voice that hadn't been there and Two-Bit felt like a complete and total shit.

And then his mother appeared.

"Bonnie, what're you yellin' abou- Oh my God. Two-Bit, come here." When he made no attempt to move towards her, she strided over to him and gingerly took his face in her hands. "What happened to you? Tell me, right now."

"It ain't nothin', Ma. I just got in a fight." He brushed her off and pulled some shoes on. "I'm fine, alright? It looks worse than it feels, believe me."

Ginny's hands were on her hips now, but Two-Bit knew that was more for show than anything else. His mother hardly ever got angry at him and if anything, she was scared. So was he. Bonnie had silent tears streaming down her cheeks, but she wouldn't even look at him. None of the hits he'd taken felt as bad as that one did.

"Bonnie -"

She turned away and left, not saying a word. Ginny watched her daughter leave and glanced back to Two-Bit.

"I don't know what's goin' on and I'm not sure I wanna know. Does this have somethin' to do with that money you suddenly came up with?"

His mother hadn't been able to finish High School, dropping out to have him during her senior year, but he could never call her dumb. Virginia had always been a very shrewd woman, picking up on little things that others overlooked. He shrugged and scuffed his shoes.

"Yeah, Ma. It might have somethin' to do with that."

Ginny nodded sadly and grabbed his hand, getting his attention. "Two-Bit, you fix this. I will help you in any way that I can, but you have to fix this."

"I will, I promise. I'm working on it," he assured her.

"I think you oughta start by talking to your sister. She seems pretty shook up about all of this," his mother added, glancing over her shoulder to see if Bonni ehad reappeared.

"Yeah ... it's just, I told her not to worry, that the problem was taken care of and nothin' would happen. She thinks I lied to her."

She gave him an understanding look and nodded. "Well, then you make it right. Bonnie loves you more than anythin' else. You make it right with her."

Two-Bit knew that was easier said than done, but he had to try. He couldn't have her this upset. It wasn't worth it.

XxX

"He's an ass," Mac said, talking about Steve as he knocked the last pool ball in the corner pocket. "You did what you had to do. Don't worry about it."

Two-Bit leaned on his pool stick and waited as Mac racked the balls for a new game. They had headed up to the new billiards hall in town to blow off steam and Mac was a great shoulder to lean on. He remained silent, puzzling over the entire argument from different angles. He'd known Steve would be pissed, part of the reason he hadn't gone to his house, but he didn't need to go as far as he had. The whole thing was making them all act like jerks and Two was sick of it.

"So what am I supposed to do now? I'm not takin' the money back from my ma. She needs it for bills and shopping for Bonnie," Two-Bit questioned, lining up his shot.

It was Mac's turn to think and he looked oddly somber as he replied. "I'd get the money to 'em. And quick. They mean business, Two. Have you looked in the mirror lately?"

He laughed shortly. "Yeah, I happened to catch a glimpse."

"I mean shit, you were an ugly son-of-a-bitch before, but now?" Mac was grinning and Two-Bit had to laugh at his friend.

"Up yours, buddy."

"Right back at ya."

They continued playing their game and Two-Bit was actually starting to relax when the door swung open and another unexpected guest appeared, this one much smaller, but no less imposing. Two-Bit sighed and laid his pool stick down, bracing himself as Joanie spotted him and made her way quickly over to their table. Mac quickly took in the situation and whistled lowly before disappearing, muttering something about letting them talk for a minute.

She stopped in front of him and he watched as she took in his appearance. Joan let out a humorless laugh and shook her head, dark curls bouncing.

"I can't believe it. They took you to town, huh?"

He grinned and cocked an eyebrow, trying to get her to lighten up. "I thought it was an improvement. I look kinda devil-may-care this way, huh?"

"Two-Bit, this isn't a joke. They coulda killed you. Do you get that? Jesus, are you okay? They didn't break nothin', did they?"

"Nothin' that can't be fixed, anyways," he grumbled, turning away from her. "I'm fine, Joan. Hey, how'd you hear about it anyways?"

She shrugged. "Evie told me."

Laughing, he shook his head. "Word sure travels fast in this town."

"I'm glad she told me," she replied quietly, now looking at her feet. "Listen, Two-Bit I wanted to talk to you."

He held up a hand, saving her the trouble. "I should apologize, Joanie. Really. I'm sorry for makin' a move on you like that. It wasn't alright, I dunno why I did it."

"You don't have _any_ idea why?" She gave him a coy smirk and Two-Bit chuckled.

"Well, there's the obvious reasons. But I really am sorry if I offended you."

Joan smiled warmly at him and shrugged. "I really shouldn't have slapped you so hard. Especially seein' what you had comin'."

Two-Bit glanced down, embarrassed. She laid her hand on his arm and waited for him to meet her eyes. When he did, he saw nothing but concern there. No judgment. No pity. It was a relief.

"You didn't know. Brumly's good that way. They get you with the fine print."

"Sounds like you know a lot about that."

It was her turn to shift uncomfortably. "Yeah, well. Let's just say I have a feeling."

"Kinda like your feelin' about David?"

"A lot like that."

They were quiet for a minute, the noises of the hall filling the silence. Mac still hadn't reappeared and Two-Bit was grateful. He had a feeling they weren't done talking yet and he wasn't sure Joanie would be so open with someone else listening, even if it was just Mac.

"How's Bonnie doing with all of this?"

Her ability to see right through everything stunned him, but she seemed to know him pretty well. "She's real upset. She won't talk to me, actually. I lied to her."

"What d'you mean you lied to her?"

"Well, I told her not to worry about it ... that they wouldn't bother her or me no more. Then this happens," he gestured helplessly, feeling a deep sense of grief.

He hated to disappoint Bonnie and the look on her face had broken his heart and he just hoped she wouldn't hold it against him for too long. Joanie offered him a sympathetic smile and nudged him gently with her elbow.

"She'll come around. She's just scared, you know. Bonnie's young so this all has to be kinda scary for her to watch and not be able to help at all. I could talk to her, if you want me to," she offered. "I kinda know what it's like. Only if you think it would help though."

Two-Bit grabbed her arm, suddenly hopeful. "Would you? She just might listen to you. You're a girl and you get how her mind works better'n me. I just make shit worse when I try to fix it. I'd really appreciate that."

Joan smiled and nodded. "Sure, I'll give it a shot. Can't hurt, anyways."

"How can I pay you back? Anythin'. Except cash. I don't really have much more of that to throw around," he added as an after thought.

She laughed loudly and considered it for a minute. "How about dinner? I'll make the food and we can go down to the park and eat. No money spent."

"So, kinda like a date," Two-Bit ventured, tentatively waiting for another slap to the head.

"I guess it is kinda like a date," she agreed, a tiny smile on her face.

Two-Bit felt that familiar warmth spreading through his stomach and he couldn't think of anything to say, so he simply smiled at her. Joanie remained silent as well and the two stood there, smiling like idiots, until Mac rejoined them.

"Well y'all look awful happy! This is great, man. Joan, you need to come 'round more often. Either that or Two-Bit needs the tar kicked outta him more," he joked, grinning as they both flipped him the bird. "Here's some drinks."

"Thanks, but I gotta get goin'," Joan replied. "I'll talk to Bonnie for you and see you tomorrow night? Around six?"

"Around six. Thanks, Joanie."

She walked away, throwing one last smile over her shoulder, and Mac whistled once more. He wagged his eyebrows suggestively and his grin widened.

"You dog."

Two-Bit shoved him, but couldn't hide the grin from his face. "Shut up, man."

* * *

**A/N:** So, now I'm tearing the guys all apart. Sorry. It had to be done, though. Thanks again. I can't promise how quick Chapter 10 will come, but I'll do my best.


	10. Breaking the Law

**A/N: **Please ignore typo's. Due to the massive influx of reviews (many thanks to **Steph36**) I went ahead and updated early. Again. You're welcome.

**Disclaimer:** S.E. Hinton owns _The Outsiders_ and Judas Priest owns the song "Breaking the Law".

* * *

_There I was completely wasting, out of work and down  
All inside. It's so frustrating as I drift from town to town,  
Feel as though nobody cares if I live or die.  
So I might as well begin to put some action in my life._

_So much for the golden future, I can't even start.  
I've had every promise broken, there's anger in my heart.  
You don't know what it's like, you don't have a clue.  
If you did, you'd find yourselves doing the same thing too.  
_

Chapter Ten

Two-Bit had his head under the hood of Lorraine, looking at the array of parts and pieces that meant absolutely nothing to him. She'd gotten a strange clunking sound from time to time when he got the speed up too much and he was trying to figure out what exactly was wrong with the engine. Even though he was a proud greaser, there was one big thing Two-Bit lacked in, and that was knowledge of cars.

Shaking his head, Two wiped the sweat off of his brow and took a deep swig of his beer. From what he could see, everything was dirty and looked the same. Other than the engine and a couple other odd parts, he couldn't put a name to much under her hood. He sighed and took another drink, weighing his options.

He could suck it up and call the DX, but that would involve dealing with Steve, something he wasn't exactly in the mood to do. He could call up Sodapop and have him look at it on his own, but that would just give Steve something else to be pissed about. Or he could try to figure it out himself.

As he mulled over his options, he became aware that he wasn't alone. Tensing, Two-Bit whirled around and prepared to defend himself against whatever was thrown his way. Instead, Ponyboy stood with his hands out and a surprised expression on his face.

"Shit, man, it's just me."

"Geez, sorry kid. Don't sneak up on a man like that! You could get your head knocked clean off," Two-Bit huffed, clapping Pony on the shoulder. "What's up, man? Haven't seen you around lately."

Ponyboy shrugged. "I could say the same about you. How come you ain't been by the house?"

It was Two-Bit's turn to look away, staring at the car instead. "Been busy, that's all."

"Busy avoidin' everybody, huh?"

Two-Bit shot him a look and shook his head. "I didn't say that."

"I heard about what happened with Steve."

"So that means you heard about what happened with Brumly then, too." It wasn't a question and Two-Bit knew Ponyboy caught his drift.

"I didn't come over here to fight with you, man. Looks like you could use some help with the car," Pony sighed, walking around Lorraine.

Two-Bit felt a strange sense of anger rise up at his words. "I don't need help for every little thing I do around here, ya know. I can handle myself."

Ponyboy gave him a look. "I didn't say you couldn't, man. I just know that you don't know a sparkplug from a fuel injector."

Even though he was annoyed, Two-Bit still had to grin. Pony was, of course, right. He was clueless with cars and it had long been a standing joke with Steve and Soda. They thought it was hilarious that a buddy of theirs could be so automotively-challenged. Two-Bit had never found it that funny.

"Steve said he'd still be willin' to take a look at it for ya," Pony added softly. "I know you an' him ain't exactly friends right now, but he's still plannin' on replacin' your brakes. He said so yesterday."

"Y'all were talkin' about me, huh? That's comforting. Glad to hear y'all are buddies these days," he grumbled, turning back to the car. "I don't need no help, Pone. Thanks though."

Behind him, Ponyboy sighed heavily and he knew he wasn't fixing anything being a jerk, but he couldn't help it. Hearing that his friends had been talking about him behind his back didn't do much to soothe his nerves and although it was nice to know they still intended on fixing his car like they told him they would, he wasn't so sure he wanted to take their charity.

"Two-Bit, I know shit's hard for you right now. I get it. And it ain't fair what Brumly pulled on you. But you can't expect things to get any better when you keep actin' like an asshole to your friends."

His voice was level, but Two-Bit heard the weariness behind it. Looking back at his friend, Two-Bit offered a small smirk and nodded.

"I hear you, Ponyboy. Tell Sodapop that I'll drop 'er off if it gets any louder. Until then, it's fine. Alright?"

Pony hesitated, but nodded. "Yeah, alright. Guess I'll leave you alone, then."

Two-Bit didn't turn around as he heard Ponyboy retreating, not able to find anything appropriate to say. Apologizing didn't seem like the right thing to do and he wasn't sure he'd mean it anyways. He just kept fucking up, but this time he knew why.

He was ashamed.

He had been taken for a fool and acted every bit the part. Brumly had embarrassed him and was now holding his card in their hands, watching and waiting for him to screw up again so they could pounce. And he was nervous. Every minute of every day he spent glancing over his shoulder, jumping when cars backfired or when a shadow came over him outside. Being on edge all of the time was wearing him down and while he knew he should be spending more time with his friends, he was staying as far away as possible. Because they were right.

He had screwed up and he knew it. Two-Bit should have asked more questions and should have been 100% sure of the deal before agreeing to it. Everything Steve had hollered at him had been true and that stung. So, rather than facing it, he was avoiding them all.

When he glanced back, Ponyboy had disappeared. He sighed and finished off the rest of his beer, tossing the bottle off to the side. Bonnie appeared on the porch, a sad look on her face.

"Two, how come you're mad at Ponyboy?"

He hung his head, exhausted from the barrage of truth raining down on him. "I ain't mad at him, Bon. Just leave it alone."

She, of course, didn't listen. "Yes you are. You always laugh and joke around with him, but you didn't hardly look at him. He's your friend, Two-Bit. Why aren't you talkin' to any of them anyways?"

"Bonnie, don't you have somethin' you should be doin'?"

"Just like you wanna get rid of me, now. Two-Bit, you can't just push everybody away, ya know."

He slammed his hands down on the hood of the car. "Enough, Bonnie. Let it go."

She stared at him with widened eyes and slowly shook her head. "I dunno who you are or what you did with my big brother, but if you see him will you send him home? I miss him and I sure as hell don't like the person you sent in his place."

Before he could reply, she'd gone back inside, leaving him feeling like shit once more. He hadn't meant to be such a jerk, especially not to Bonnie. And he knew that she, like Steve and Ponyboy, had been right. He was acting like a spoiled baby, whining and pouting instead of doing something about it. He'd dug himself the grave, it was high time he figured out a way to climb out.

XxX

Mac leaned against the car, smoking coolly as Two-Bit came out of the pawn shop, counting his cash from the petty thefts he'd been pulling. He grinned and punched his friend's shoulder, showing him the wad of green.

"Man, I might actually be able to do this. I still got a ways to go, but I got a hell of a lot more cash now than I did a couple weeks ago," Two-Bit greeted, pocketing his money.

His friend grinned and raised his eyebrows. "How're you gettin' it all? You ain't sellin' yourself, are ya? Geez, man. I'd loan ya money 'fore I'd let a friend of mine sink that low."

Two-Bit laughed genuinely and shrugged. "Well you know how irresistible I am. Nah, man. Just pawnin' some small stuff here and there."

"Good for you, Two. You'll get this paid off in no time," Mac complemented, clapping him on the back.

"Thanks, man."

As Two-Bit prepared to climb back into the car, a familiar Ford pulled into the parking lot across the street, and as he watched Ponyboy climbed out of the passenger side and Steve from behind the wheel. What the hell, he thought.

"Mac, gimme a minute," he hollered distantly, heading across the street.

His buddy chuckled quietly and hurried to catch up, falling into step beside him. "And miss this? Hell no."

Once they were within earshot, Ponyboy heard their approaching steps and turned, his eyes widening slightly. He said something to Steve, who turned as well, and they waited for Two-Bit to join them.

"You boys awful far from home, don't you think," Two-Bit drawled, giving Steve a hard look.

"Could say the same about you," he returned, nodding to Mac. "Slocum."

Mac nodded. "Randle."

A tense silence fell between the four of them and Ponyboy looked at the ground, scuffing his shoes nervously. Two-Bit smirked and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Didn't know you two were buddies these days, Pone. How sweet."

Shaking his head, Steve snapped, "Hey, lay off the kid. He didn't do shit to you and you know it."

Two-Bit held out his hands and grinned, "Oh, sorry. Didn't know it was a capital offense to converse with an old friend. My apologies, Steve."

"Look, man, I don't wanna fight," Steve conceeded, frowning slightly. "Don't get so damn defensive, alright?"

"Right, because you didn't jump down my throat the other day, so why should I be defensive around you?"

The two of them glared and silence fell again. Behind him, Mac shifted uncomfortably. "Hey, wanna grab a burger, Pone?"

Gratefully, he nodded and the two of them headed into the DQ, leaving Steve and Two-Bit still standing in silence. Two-Bit lit up a smoke and stuck the carton back in his jacket, not extending one to Steve. He, in turned, sighed and gave Two-Bit an exasperated look.

"What d'you want me to say, Two? I'm sorry? Fine. I shouldn'ta gone off on ya the way I did. Sorry. But I stand by what I said. You shoulda double checked everything before you signed on," Steve huffed, crossing his arms as well.

"Yeah, I'm an idiot, I think we established that before, Steve-oh." Two-Bit knew he was getting as close to an apology from Steve as he ever would, but he couldn't bring himself to accept it.

Deep down, he knew he didn't deserve it. He'd fucked up and he should be the one apologizing. It made him feel even more like a shit to have to hear his friend apologize to him. Steve wasn't sure how to proceed and Two-Bit could see the wheels turning in his head. He stared at his boots and shrugged.

"Just forget it, Steve. I'm a fuck up. Don't need the reminders, thanks."

He turned to walk away and Steve let out a frustrated sigh. "Man, you're actin' like a little bitch. Just stop. We're tryin' to be your friends. We're tryin' to help you out. Just stop shovin' us all away. Let us help you out."

"Steve, I don't need no help. Just forget about it."

Two-Bit headed back to his car, Mac silently appearing moments later, and they pulled away, heading out of Catoosa. Neither of them spoke for a while, Two-Bit still sulking in his guilt. After they drove through a couple of towns, Mac cleared his throat.

"So, dare I ask what he wanted?"

He shrugged. "Apologize, I guess."

"Oh. Well, that's good right?"

"I guess."

"Two-Bit, you can't be pissed forever ya know. Especially since he admitted he was wrong," Mac reasoned, staring out of the side window. "I mean c'mon, these guys are your friends. They been there for ya through everything. They ain't left yet, so why not just accept it and let it go?"

Sighing, Two-Bit replied, "I dunno. Guess I just don't think I deserve an apology."

From the corner of his eye, he saw Mac shoot him an incredulous look. "C'mon, man. So you messed up. Big deal. Move on with life. You're doin' what you can to make things right at home, why not make things right with the friends, too?"

Two-Bit didn't answer, instead mulling over what Mac had said. On the one hand he agreed - he _had_ messed up but he was trying to make it right. Why keep dwelling on it? But on the other hand, he couldn't move past the deep shame he felt and every time he saw the looks on his friends faces, he remembered exactly why he felt that shame in the first place. Forgiving Steve would be the easy part. It was forgiving himself that he was having a hard time with.

XxX

Two-Bit threw on his jacket and grabbed his keys, careful to avoid the squeaky floorboards as he snuck out of the house. His mother was still out at her newest bartending job, but Bonnie was home and he knew she'd rat him out. She didn't have any faith in him these days and frankly, he couldn't blame her. Two had a job to do, though, and it was a bigger one than the petty thefts he'd been doing. It was important that he get there early so he could scope the place out thoroughly beforehand.

He closed the door gently behind him, about to take the first step, when he heard her.

"Shit."

Turning around, Two-Bit saw his sister, sitting in the ledge of her bedroom window. She was making the infamous _tsk_-ing sound that his mother had perfected over the years and he hung his head.

"What're you doin' in your window, Bonnie?"

"Where are you goin'," she countered, ignoring his first question.

Two shrugged and threw her a casual grin. "Just out for a late night, joy ride."

Bonnie climbed out of her window nimbly and flitted over to him, arms crossed and her eyebrow cocked in an impeccable impersonation of himself. "Well, I wanna go. I like goin' for rides. Let's hit it."

Neither of them moved and he realized she was a lot smarter than he gave her credit for. "Alright, alright. I'm goin' to do somethin' that you can't come with me for. Better?"

"No. How do I know you'll come back?"

Frowning, he put a hand on her shoulder. "What d'you mean by that? Of course I'll come back, Bonnie."

"I don't know that," she mumbled. "You promised those guys wouldn't bug you no more and look what they did. How am I supposed to know you'll be home and be okay when you get here? I'm scared, Two-Bit."

She threw her arms around his middle and hugged him tightly. Two-Bit hugged her back and kissed the top of her head gently. Kneeling down, he looked at her seriously.

"Bonnie, I will be home. I promise you that and this is one that I ain't gonna break, okay? I just gotta do one little thing and then I'll be back. You won't even notice I was gone," he said with a small grin, trying to get an answering smile out of her.

His sister remained somber, though, and she pulled back. "Are you sure?"

"Yes."

She studied him closely and Two-Bit tried to remain as open as possible, not wanting to hide anything from her. Slowly, Bonnie nodded and took another step back.

"Okay. Can I wait up for you? Please?"

Grinning, Two-Bit nodded and gave her one last quick hug. "I'll be home soon. Love ya, Bon."

"Love you too, Two."

ooooo

It was dark out, the occasional headlights casting the only light down the alley he was lurking in. Two-Bit had been watching the jewelry store for the past three hours, waiting for the shopkeeper to call it a night. Sighing, he lit another smoke and watched the old man bustle around, tidying things up and pouring over his books.

"C'mon, old man," he muttered anxiously.

Finally, nearly midnight, the lights finally clicked off. Two-Bit threw his cigarette butt away and skirted around the garbage cans, kneeling so he could watch the shopkeeper as he climbed in his beater. After a few tries it finally turned over and Two-Bit grinned as he puttered away down the street.

"About time, damnit."

He crept through the shadows, flattening himself against the wall as a bumbling drunk wandered by, muttering to himself. Two-Bit chuckled quietly, but remained focused on the job. There was a back door to the shop, one that was well out of sight, and Two-Bit was hoping it was unlocked. Reaching it, he grabbed the knob and turned, swearing quietly when it didn't swing open.

Picking locks had never been his strong point, but he had to get in. After a few minutes of fumbling with the lock, he glanced around the alley for something a bit more direct. There was a trashcan with old newspapers, some rotten food, and a tattered blanket in the corner. That would do the trick, he thought, grabbing the blanket and wrapping it around his fist.

Once he was protected, Two-Bit smashed his fist through the small glass window and reached inside, unlocking the door easily and swinging it open. Considering himself on the clock, Two-Bit made quick work of things, heading for the biggest display case and grabbing out the nicest looking pieces of jewelry. He'd gotten about two fistfuls in his pockets when the distant wail of sirens reached his ears.

"Fuck."

His promise to Bonnie rang loudly in his ears and Two-Bit had the horrible feeling he was going to spend the night in jail if he didn't get his ass in gear. Grabbing one last box of jewelry, he darted out of the door, letting it swing in the wind behind him. His jacket jingled softly, bouncing against his sides as he ran. Two-Bit climbed over the fence and hurried through the maze of back alleys. The sirens drew closer and he was willing to wager the cops had already reached the shop.

He sped up, finally reaching Lorraine and climbing in. Quickly, he turned the key and said a silent prayer as she started right up. Subtly, he pulled out of the side lot a few blocks over and cruised away, not speeding and not dawdling. It was the right pace and no one spared him a second glance.

Once he was out of sight, he finally let out a large gust of air, turning down a side street and heading for the pawn shop out in Catoosa. It was too early for the news to break and he had to unload the jewelry before word spread. Lorraine groaned once, but continued to rumble along as he drove. Two-Bit thought of Steve's offer to look under the hood for him and scowled. Just when he needed his buddy's mechanic skills, they had a blowout like they did.

Two-Bit glanced in his rear-view mirror, thinking back to how quickly the fuzz had shown. He hadn't had so much attention to a job in a while and Two-Bit wondered if maybe he hadn't been as subtle as he'd originally thought. Maybe he oughta lie low for a little while, give time for the break-in news to die down.

Sighing, he glanced down at his bulging pockets and felt a pang of guilt. All of these people he'd been stealing from didn't deserve it. Then again, neither did his family. They didn't deserve to pay for his stupidity. He was willing to do whatever he could to get things back to normal, debt free, for them. He owed it to them and so, he shoved his guilty conscience to the side and stepped a little harder on the gas.

* * *

**A/N:** Many thanks for the support. Keep letting me know what you're thinking. It really does motivate me.


	11. Could It Be Anybody

**A/N:** Please ignore any typos.

**Disclaimer:** S.E. Hinton owns _The Outsiders_ and The Beatles own the song "With A Little Help From My Friends".

* * *

_What do I do when my love is away?  
Does it worry you to be alone?  
How do I feel by the end of the day?  
Are you sad because you're on your own?_

_No, I get by with a little help from my friends.  
Mm I get high with a little help from my friends.  
Mm gonna try with a little help from my friends.  
Do you need anybody? I need somebody to love._

Chapter Eleven**  
**

Two-Bit groaned and stopped for the tenth time, debating whether or not to just turn around and head for home. He was walking to the Curtis' house, finally having worked out exactly what it was he wanted and needed to say to them all, but it was proving to be harder than he thought.

Had any of the neighbors looked out of their windows, they would have seen a strange sight – a young man, pacing back and forth on the sidewalk, scowling at the ground and muttering occasionally. With every instance of pacing, he brought himself closer and closer to the end destination. Still, he thought, was he really ready for it?

He had been a total ass to his friends and he knew it. Plain and simple. There were no excuses for him to act the way he had, yet he still did it. Two-Bit knew an apology wouldn't mend all of the fences, but he was aiming for as many as he could. He had to. They were the only real friends he had. Forcing himself forward, Two-Bit finally rounded the corner and their house came into view. He kept his feet moving and repeated everything he'd wanted to say over and over in his head. Darry's truck was missing, but Steve's car was parked on the street. Two-Bit was honestly glad that he was there. One less trip to make, he thought. He could just get it all over with at one time.

Stopping just outside of their gate, Two took a few steadying breaths before pushing the gate open and quickly climbing the few stairs to the porch. He raised his hand to knock and then realized what he was doing. With a nervous grin, he shoved the door open instead and stepped inside.

Ponyboy was laying with his head on Soda's legs, watching some movie on the television. At the dining room table, Steve looked up from the car magazine he was reading. Soda glanced up when the door swung open and Two-Bit saw his eyes widen slightly.

"H-hey, Two. How's it goin', man?"

He shrugged. "Been better, I guess."

Pony got up and turned the volume on their set down, studying Two-Bit closely. "Everything okay?"

Two-Bit glanced around and realized that everything he had planned on saying was suddenly gone from his mind. He couldn't remember a single thing outside of just coming out and apologizing to them. The three of them stared at him, quietly waiting for him to tell them what had prompted his visit. Two-Bit had never felt so uncomfortable, but he knew it was his own fault. He had put the gap between himself and his friends and he was the one that was going to have to fix that.

With a deep breath, he shook his head. "No, not really."

He shuffled his feet uncomfortably and stared at the ground, feeling their eyes on him. Two-Bit knew he had to be the one to start the conversation, but he had never felt at such a loss for words.

"Look, I been a real dick lately. 'M sorry. Guess I was just embarrassed is all. Brumly made me act like an idiot and I played it up. When Steve told me all that stuff, I didn't wanna hear it. Not 'cause it ain't true, just 'cause I didn't wanna hear it out loud. So, I'm sorry." He spoke gruffly, his eyes not leaving the floor.

And then came the silence, the one he always hated that followed an apology. It was the sound of thinking, when the receiver of the apology considered whether or not to accept. The apology giver had to stand there, waiting for whatever sentence he would be dealt.

Steve was the one to break it, a smirk slowly spreading across his face. "Oh c'mon, I think you can do better'n that."

With that, the silence was broken and Two-Bit had to laugh. Slowly, more laughs filled the void and then it was like nothing had happened. Soda and Ponyboy went back to lounging on the couch and Steve, with a final grin, kept flipping through the magazine. Two-Bit felt his own smile widen and he pulled up another chair, sitting backwards in it.

"So, you still willin' to look under Lorraine's hood one of these days," Two-Bit asked, venturing for a conversation.

Smirking slyly, Steve laid the magazine down and threw his hands behind his head. "Well, gee, man I dunno. Prices have gone up recently, ya know? Supply and demand."

"Ah, man. Don't yank my chain now!"

Steve barked out his laugh and nodded. "Yeah, I'll still look at it. Lemme look at the schedule up at work and I'll let you know a good day to drop 'er off."

"Thanks, Steve-oh."

He said it with more meaning than normal and from the look Steve gave him, his friend got the message. It had become clear that Steve was the strongest link he had left to the gang and Two-Bit was learning just how important they were to him. He was going to work twice as hard to keep the lines of friendship open from now on.

"No problem, man. Really. How 'bout we play some cards?"

XxX

He was waiting for Ponyboy to get done in the library. The kid spent more time picking out books than anybody Two-Bit knew and he wouldn't change it. Grinning, he thought of how many times Pony had walked into things because he had his nose in some story. It was what made Ponyboy special and Two-Bit was glad he had a friend like him.

Ponyboy had wanted to see a new movie that was playing, but Soda and Steve had dates and Darry had to work. Two saw it as the perfect opportunity to mend some of the damage he'd done, so he volunteered to take Pony. It was turning out to be a pretty good afternoon. Pony, sensing weakness, had asked to stop at the library. Knowing full well he couldn't say no, Two-Bit conceded and so, he waited outside while his friend browsed. Smart kid, he thought with a grin.

The car pulled up across the street and he almost didn't register the significance of it. Almost. The glossy red paint shone brightly despite the thickening clouds and Two-Bit swore lowly, expecting Glenn to come sidling up to where he was standing. Instead, Gary got out from behind the wheel, Craig and Warren crawling out like roaches from the backseat.

Maybe they're just in town, he thought hopefully. Maybe there was an errand they had to run. Maybe it _didn't_ involve him. Of course, he knew that was wrong the minute they pulled in. Gary stretched dramatically before beginning the trek over to where Two was waiting, just like he knew they would. Of course. What had he done now?

If they were coming to kill him, Glenn would have shown up. That was the only comfort he could find in their visit. Two-Bit glanced over at the library doors, sighing in relief as Pony was nowhere in sight. Not yet, anyways.

"Mathews," Gary greeted, his gruff voice breaking the thick silence. "We come with another message for ya."

"Yippee," he muttered. "Alright, what can I do for you boys?"

"Ya see, my brother thinks you're attractin' too much attention with all this thievin' you been up to," Gary reasoned, holding Two-Bit's gaze. "He don't want no dirty money, see. He wants you to earn it."

Two-Bit had to laugh, stunned. "Are you serious? What more can I do, huh? I ain't got a job, so how else am I supposed to get the cash to ya?"

Gary leered at him, that deep darkness creeping back into his black eyes. "Well now that ain't exactly our problem, Mathews. You shoulda thought of that before you went and blew our money all over town. Speaking of our money, how much d'you have? Glenn told me it wouldn't be wise to show back up empty handed. And you know what it's like with him … you don't wanna let him down, right?"

Groaning quietly, he dug into his pockets and grabbed out the thickening wad of cash he'd been gathering. Two-Bit's eyes never left the money as Gary snatched it up, counting the bills quickly.

"Not bad, Mathews. Not bad at all. Tell ya what, since you're serious about gettin' our money back for us, we'll go ahead and accept this bit of it. The rest, though, better come without no more fuzz involvement. You read me?"

"Loud and clear, big man," Two-Bit quipped, scowling at the ground.

"Don't get cute, Mathews," Gary growled, much larger and more imposing without a hint of sunshine from overhead.

The three Brumly goons retreated to their car and sped off, burning rubber the whole way. It earned a number of glances, including Pony as he came over to rejoin Two-Bit.

"Those the guys?"

He shrugged. "Just a couple of 'em."

"You okay?"

"They took the cash I had," he mumbled, kicking a stone. "And they say they don't want no more money from pawnin' stuff. Say it's gettin' too much attention. Dunno what they want me to do now, though. I ain't askin' for nothin' from my ma."

Pony thought about it for a minute and threw an arm comfortingly around his friend. "It'll be alright, ya know. You can get a job, ya know. It ain't so bad. Builds character, so I've heard."

Two-Bit cracked a smile. "You tellin' me my character needs buildin'?"

Laughing, Pony offered a half-shrug. "Maybe. You'll get it, though. You're smart, man. Think of somethin'. And you know you can always borrow somethin' from us."

"No way, man," Two-Bit replied, holding his hands out. "No more borrowin' money for me. This debt shit is too much to handle. Once I pay this off, I ain't never goin' in debt to nobody again."

"See," Pony pointed out, as they headed back for his house. "You're learnin' already."

XxX

"What the hell am I supposed to do now," he raved, pacing the room.

Joan sat cross-legged on her bed, thinking hard. She tugged on her curls, a sign that her mind was working overtime. Two-Bit waited as she reasoned things out, his angry steps slowing down.

"If you had a shot to take a job, a _real_ job, would you?"

Stunned he gave her a look. "Gee, I dunno. What d'you think?"

She shrugged. "Don't be an ass. Just answer the question. And I mean it. Would you show up at seven in the morning on weekends and stay until nine at night, if you had to? Give up your free time to make money the hard way. Would you really be willing to commit to that? I'm being serious."

"Yeah, I would. I'd do anything to get a job like that. You oughta know that, Joanie."

"My cousin owns a bakery. It's a small business, but they do really well. Up by the Ribbon. I talked to him and he told me that they could use some help."

Two-Bit stared at her wide-eyed. "Are you kiddin' me right now? Hell yeah! Sign me up! Are you serious? No catches, right?"

Joanie laughed honestly and shook her head. "No catches, I swear. All you have to do is show up, do what they ask you to do, and earn your money. That's it. So, you want the job?"

"Of course!"

"Great!" She beamed at him. "You start on Friday after class gets out."

He chuckled and raised an eyebrow. "How long has this been set up?"

"Long enough. I just had to get you to agree to it," she admitted, still grinning at him.

Two whooped happily and wrapped her into a bear hug, spinning her around in a circle. Joanie laughed loudly and when he set her back down, he felt dizzier than he expected. She was still beaming, cheeks slightly reddened.

"Thank you."

She ducked her head and distracted herself with straightening the sheets on her bed. "Don't thank me yet. You haven't met my cousin."

He thumped her nose gently. "Yeah well, he can't be much worse than you, huh?"

"Yeah, yeah."

Joanie turned away, fussing with the papers on her desk and straightening things that were already straight. Two watched her, slightly bemused. She didn't seem the type to want to get attached to anything for too long and he figured that had something to do with her brother. Still, he thought, he didn't want to stay at an arm's length forever. There was something he really liked about Joan.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm glad you're gonna take the job. Really," she insisted, still not meeting his eyes.

Two-Bit sighed and grabbed her shoulders, gently turning her to face him. "Joan, you don't gotta be all tough all the time. It's okay to be happy. Your brother would want that. He wouldn't want you to be miserable."

She sized him up and nodded slowly. "I know. I'm sorry. It's just hard for me, you know? David and I always talked about running away one day. It just doesn't seem like he'd leave without me or without ever comin' back for me."

"Sounds like you been thinkin' about this a lot again," he pointed out, sitting on the edge of her desk.

"Well yeah," she conceded. "I'm headin' into my junior year, you know? I just … I wanted my brother to be here during it. I guess I spend more time tryin' to figure out what happened than I do tryin' to figure out what to do now."

Offering up a movie star grin, Two-Bit puffed his chest up. "That's where I come in, dearie."

She rolled her eyes, but smiled in spite of herself. Two-Bit nudged her with his leg and he felt encouraged when she grinned even more. He had been slowly testing the waters with Joan and even though they'd had several minor setbacks, they had made a lot of progress.

"I wanna talk to you about something," he said slowly, trying not to startle her. "But I don't want you just runnin' and hidin' when I bring it up, alright?"

She gave him a skeptical look, but twirled her fingers. "Keep talkin'."

"What would you think about us … well, what would you think about us? Let's leave it at that," he decided, watching her closely.

"Two-Bit, I like you. A lot, actually. I just dunno if bein' together is a real good idea," Joan reasoned. "I mean, we're both dealin' with our own messes. I'm not sure I wanna drag you into all of my shit when you're still trying to get out from under Brumly's thumb. Does that make sense?"

Shrugging, he gave her what he hoped was as honest of a look as he could muster up. "What if I told you I wanna be involved? Maybe I could help out. You've helped me a hell of a lot. I wanna try to help you out too. C'mon, you know you like me."

Joanie laughed and he watched her think it over. Moments seemed like hours, but he gave her the time she needed. One thing he'd learned about Joanie was to move slowly and never surprise her.

"Are you serious? I mean, d'you really want that?"

"I'm as serious as I was about that job. So, wanna be my girl?"

She grinned and nodded slowly. "Yeah, I think that sounds real nice."

Two-Bit pumped his fist in the air and cheered, drawing more laughs out of her. He felt that familiar warmth in his gut and he grinned like a schoolboy. It had been ages since he felt so happy and Two-Bit hoped he could bring some of that light back to Joanie.

XxX

School started that next day and Two-Bit groaned the entire way to school, Bonnie and Ponyboy chatting animatedly in the backseat. He, on the other hand, was much less of a morning person. At least until after nine.

"So, when do I get to meet your new girl," Pony questioned from the back. "Bonnie's already met her, I think the guys should get a chance to."

Two-Bit grinned a bit. "Maybe at lunch today, if you stick around. She usually hangs out with Evie and the gals, but I might see her then."

"Gotta see if she's good enough for ya," Pony added. "Just lookin' out for you."

"Thanks, kiddo."

"Hey," Bonnie added, "How come you don't give her a ride in, too? There's room up front for her to sit with you."

He sighed and rubbed his face wearily. "I'll talk to her, alright? Lemme wake up a bit 'fore ya start interrogatin' me."

She giggled, but fell quiet, talking to Ponyboy some more. After a few minutes, they finally pulled into the parking lot and got out of the car. Two-Bit stretched loudly and flipped the school off.

"This gonna be your last year, Two," Steve hollered, making his way over to them from where he'd parked.

Grinning, he shrugged. "Dunno, man. On the one hand, you're graduatin' so who would I bum around with?"

Mac sauntered over, whistling happily. "Mornin', boys. Good ole Will Rogers. Glad to say g'bye to this place after this year."

"You can say that again," Steve agreed, slapping hands with him.

"Well, let's get this started," Two-Bit said, heading towards the building.

The guys parted ways once inside, but Mac lingered a minute longer. "So, I heard 'bout you and Joanie. That right?"

Two grinned. "I was gonna have you in the weddin', but we eloped. So last minute, I know."

"Man, shut up! I'm glad, Two. I think y'all will be real good for each other, ya know? Maybe you can finally help her get over her brother. She needs to move on and I think if anybody could do it, it'd be you. 'Sides, you know what it's like," he reasoned. "Anyways, I'm glad to see y'all happy. Congrats, man."

"Thanks, Mac. I'll give it my best!"

Overhead the speakers crackled to life and Mac swore loudly. "Late on the first day. Damn! See ya later, Two."

Two-Bit turned and headed in the direction of his own homeroom, humming a new Elvis tune he'd heard on the radio. He rounded the corner and finally spotted his homeroom. Mr. Gibbons, the wimpiest teacher in the entire school. He grinned evilly and strolled into the room, still humming his tune. Gibbons shot him a dirty look and straightened his large glasses on the bridge of his nose.

"Excuse me, Mr. Mathews. The bell rang minutes ago. You are late," he snivelled.

"Sorry, Gibbs. I'll just take a seat," he grinned, looking around the room for an empty seat.

A familiar face caught his eye and he grinned wider, heading for the desk in the back of the room. He slid into the chair and saluted his teacher, earning several snickers from other students in the class. Gibbons looked torn, trying to decide whether to reprimand him again or just listen to the announcments. The second choice seemed to win out as he turned back to the board and continued to write the basic information down. Two-Bit turned to Joan and winked.

"Long time, no see."

"You're gonna get kicked out on the first day, ya know that," she whispered, smiling anyways.

"Gibbons? Nah, he's had me in homeroom every year. He likes me. I add some life to class, don't ya think?" He wagged his eyebrows and leaned back in his seat, completely relaxed.

"Hush," she hissed back. "You're gonna get us both in trouble."

He smirked coolly at her, but stayed quiet. If the beginning of his day was any sign of things to come, Two-Bit had a good feeling about the school year. Things just seemed to be falling into place and even though his debt to Brumly was far from paid off, he was making progress. And for the first time, he wasn't alone.

* * *

**A/N:** They're together, *claps*. Sorry, had to have a few slower chapters. There's much more coming. Please keep the reviews coming. This will be the last of the speedy updates for a while. Gonna try once a week, most likely Mondays.


	12. Life Has Changed

**A/N:** Please ignore any typos. FYI, I originally was trying to make this story right around 25 Chapters. For the sake of the pace though, I'm probably going to be cutting some of it, so it will most likely be under 20 Chapter. Just so you know.

**Disclaimer:** S.E. Hinton owns _The Outsiders_ and The Beatles own the song "Help!".

* * *

_When I was younger, so much younger than today,_  
_I never needed anybody's help in any way._  
_But now these days are gone, I'm not so self assured._  
_Now I find I've changed my mind and opened up the doors_

_Help me if you can, I'm feeling down,_  
_And I do appreciate you being round._  
_Help me get my feet back on the ground._  
_Won't you please, please help me?_

Chapter Twelve**  
**

Two-Bit finished loading the fresh donuts into the front display and washed his hands, wiping them on the front of his clean smock to dry off. Harold, Joanie's cousin, was the owner of Shirley's Place, the small bakery up on the Ribbon. Two had been working a couple of weeks there already and was starting to get the hang of his job, not to mention manual labor as a whole. He never thought that he would be one working a typical nine to five job, but there he was, busting ass to make a buck.

As his first job, he thought it was going pretty well. He got along well with both owners, Harold and his wife Shirley, and the girls that worked cash on weekends. Two was learning that to be successful was to ask questions instead of just winging it. He found that out after an entire bag of flour exploded in his face, the entire store-room a blanket of white. If he'd asked where it went in the first place, Harold had pointed out while chuckling happily, he wouldn't look like the abominable snowman. Lesson learned.

Joanie stopped in often on weekends, helping out if they needed it, but mostly just doing homework and watching Two-Bit. He always worked twice as hard when she was there, trying his best to make her proud. If the look on her face was any indication, he was doing a damn good job. Although he found himself more distracted when she was visiting, Harold seemed more apt to let it slide those days, simply giving him a knowing look and friendly reminders.

"Two-Bit, delivery's in!" Shirley's voice carried through from back in the kitchen area.

"Comin'!"

He hurried out back and began hauling in the numerous boxes for the day, carefully setting them off to the side and sorting them as they were unloaded. Once it was finished, he surveyed the stock and signed off on it, waving goodbye to the delivery guy. Now it was time to bring them all inside.

The doors opened to the bakery at half past eight and Harold liked the stockroom filled by that time, so Two-Bit made sure to get the boxes and supplies all sorted quickly. Shirley had been especially helpful in giving him hints on how to be the most efficient without making as many mistakes as he originally did. In just a few weeks, Two-Bit could see the progress he had made and he felt damn good about it. He'd never known just how much pride a person could take in a job well done. Working world was treating him well.

As the day wore on, Steve and Soda stopped in, both taking it all in. They spotted Two-Bit wearing his smock and a grin broke out on Steve's face. Two groaned, but smiled anyways and headed up to the register.

"Can I get you fella's anythin'?"

Soda whistled and pointed at Two-Bit. "I'll take you, buddy. Man you clean up real good."

"Look at the workin' boy, Sodapop," Steve drawled, grinning. "Wearin' a dress, too."

"Shut up, Steve-oh. You're just jealous you couldn't pull somethin' like this off yourself," Two-Bit quipped.

Steve shrugged, but smiled genuinely at his friend. "You're doin' real good for yourself, Two."

"We're pretty proud of ya, man," Soda added. "Tuff an' all you holdin' down a job. We were gonna celebrate a bit tonight. Play some poker at our place, just kinda hang out. What d'you think? Can the workin' man tear himself away for a little while later on?"

Two-Bit grinned, always excited for a good party. "Hell yeah, I'm up for it! I'll stop by after I get done here. I'll just stop by the house and let Bonnie know I'll be late. Be there around eight."

"Great, man! See you then," Soda exclaimed.

The two of them left a few minutes later, but not without their fair share of goodies. Two-Bit grinned as he watched them hauling out two bags between them. If anything, Two-Bit was learning a lot about his strengths with this job and he had discovered early on he made one hell of a salesman. Harold seemed to notice, too. He kept giving Two-Bit more and more time on the register, much to his delight. It was something he really enjoyed and Two-Bit didn't want to disappoint his boss.

"Alright, Two-Bit," Harold called, hands on his prominent belly. "You're off for the night."

Glancing at the clock, Two-Bit saw it was a good half hour before his clock-out time. "Are you sure? I can stay, my buddies are waitin' later."

"Go on home and spend some time with your family," he insisted. "You been doin' good work, son. Come back tomorrow mornin'. Enjoy the night!"

Not needing to be told twice, Two-Bit hung up his apron and clocked out, waving goodbye to Shirley as he left. He cranked up Lorraine's radio and cruised towards home, with his windows down. There was a nip in the air that hadn't been there before and Two-Bit grinned as his arms broke out in goosebumps. It was going to be a good night. He could feel it.

ooooo

"Here's to the workin' man among us," Soda toasted, "The one we never thought would get off his bum and into a steady job. Good for you, Two."

Grinning happily, Two raised his beer in reply. "Here, here! Thanks guys."

"Now it's on the kid to get a job," Steve grinned. "He's the only unemployed one here."

Before Ponyboy could reply, Darry wrapped his arm around Pony's neck. "No way, kiddo. You stick with the books and track. I think that's all you oughta be worryin' about at this point in life."

Steve rolled his eyes, still grinning, as Ponyboy stuck his tongue out in triumph. Two busted up laughing, enjoying the relaxed atmosphere of the evening.

"So what's on the agenda for the evenin'," he asked, taking a deep swig of beer.

Soda shrugged. "Well, since you went and got yourself a girl, I guess broads are out."

The guys laughed loudly at that and Pony turned a light shade of pink. Two-Bit chuckled even harder. His friend had grown up a lot in the past several months, so it was easy to forget that he was still a kid among them. He threw his arm comfortingly around the kid's shoulder and squeezed him gently.

"Yeah, broads are out," Two-Bit conceded. "How 'bout we just hang out around here? Or maybe go catch a movie?"

It was Ponyboy's turn to laugh loudly and they all looked at him in surprise. "What? You really wanna see Soda try an' sit through a movie? Don't think that's gonna work out too well."

"Aw c'mon," Soda groaned with a grin. "I can manage! Let's go catch a movie. Probably one of the last ones 'fore it gets too cold to go, anyways."

Decision made, they all grabbed their coats and change and headed for the door. It was going to be a good night. Two-Bit could feel it.

XxX

"You could stay a little while longer if you want," Joanie whispered, kissing his cheek.

"I oughta get home," he said, regretting it as he spoke. "Bonnie's home alone and I should get back to her soon. I wish I could stay though."

She smiled warmly at him and kissed him once more, sitting up slowly. "Alright. Can't argue with that."

He grabbed his jacket from the back of her chair and grabbed her hand, pulling her to him for one last hug. She was warm and soft, fitting perfectly against his chest. Two-Bit didn't want to let go, the only thing forcing him to leave was the thought of Bonnie sitting home alone and waiting for him. Sighing, he kissed her head and pulled away, groaning as he did so.

"Oh, stop that," she chided, softly. "Go on, get outta here. I'll see you tomorrow."

Two-Bit grinned and nodded. "Alright. G'night darlin'."

"G'night, Two-Bit."

Smiling, he slipped out of her room and down the stairs. Her mother was knitting in the living room and her father was in his den, smoking. No one spoke, no one looked up as he left. Two-Bit shook his head in disbelief as he left the house. The atmosphere in that place was suffocating in its silence. He had no idea how she stood it.

Trying to enjoy the last bits of fall air, Two-Bit decided to walk home from Joanie's house. It wasn't far, just a couple of blocks, and the night air felt good in his lungs. He grinned as he walked, taking in the scenery. He wasn't out of his debt yet, but he was well on his way and he felt good about that. He was no longer stealing, instead earning the money, and he had discovered pride in a job well done.

And on top of it all, he had met Joan. Things with her had been running slow, but smooth. Two didn't mind moving slower if it meant she was happy. It was worth it to see her smiling more often than not and laughing more than moping around. Whistling, Two stuck his hands in his pocket and shrugged his jacket up a bit higher.

As he walked, Two-Bit felt the familiar sensation of being watched. He turned his head casually, glancing over his shoulder as he did. Sure enough, about twenty paces behind him, there was a single shadowy figure. They walked slowly, but were deliberately matching his steps.

Two-Bit tensed up, walking stiffly and picking up his pace. The figure did the same, walking a bit quicker behind him. He glanced over his other shoulder and nearly jumped, seeing yet another figure following him. Up ahead his house came into view. Bless Bonnie, he thought as he saw all of the lights that were on. His sister hated the dark and now, he was thankful for it. Two was banking on the figures not wanting to come out into the light.

He hurried the last few steps to the porch, sighing with relief as the porch light flooded over him. Looking back, Two made a point of looking at his unknown followers, staring them both down in turn. With one last, hard glare he went inside, locking the door tightly.

"What'd you do that for," Bonnie asked, coming down the hallway.

"Oh, nothin'," he answered distractedly, looking out the front window.

"Well you'd better unlock that," she muttered. "I have my date any minute now."

Two-Bit took in her appearance and realized she was all gussied up. He whistled jokingly and nodded in approval. Bonnie beamed and went off in search of her purse. Two looked out of the window again, pulling the shades closed as Bonnie flitted around the house, grabbing her jacket and throwing on some last minute makeup. Frowning, he gave her his full attention.

"Where did you say you were goin'?"

Sighing, she replied, "I have a date, Two-Bit. Don't you ever listen when I talk?"

"Yeah, I knew that part. I meant where is this boy plannin' on takin' you. And I dunno if it's such a good idea tonight," he warned, thinking of the shadowy figures he'd seen on his way home. "Maybe you oughta stay in."

"Two, I'm not gonna stay single forever just 'cause you don't like seein' me out with boys!"

He groaned and wiped his face. "That wasn't my problem tonight, but thanks for remindin' me of that, too. What'd you say this kid's name was?"

She shrugged and looked at the ground. "I didn't tell you."

"And why not?"

"I knew you'd go and look him up with your friends," she hissed.

There was a knock at the front door and Bonnie shot him a clear warning look. "Don't embarrass me, Two."

"That's my job, baby sister," he answered, grinning evilly at her. "Allow me to get that."

Sauntering over, he pulled the door open and stopped, rage and shock combining in his gut for a lethal mixture. Standing on his porch with a small, predatorial grin was none other than Craig. When he saw Two-Bit, the grin widened only slightly and his cat eyes narrowed, daring him to say something. Two was too shocked to speak, still waiting for the red-hot rage to take over.

"Hi Craig."

Her voice, innocent and kind, was enough to snap him out of his funk and Two-Bit lurched forward, grabbing Craig by the collar of his greasy shirt. Bonnie shrieked behind him and grabbed his arm, trying her best to pull him off. Unshaken, Craig continued to smirk at him and he spoke for the first time Two had ever heard.

"Problem here, Mathews?" His voice was quiet, but there was a bite to it that Two-Bit had a feeling was easily hidden from the girls he went for.

"You're damn right there is, _bud_. Get the hell offa my property and you stay away from my sister. I'll kill you myself if I ever see or hear you been near her again, you read me?"

Two-Bit shoved him, hard, backwards and fully expected him to topple down the stairs. His cat-like reflexes caught him though and Craig sneered at him.

"You gonna fight Bonnie's boyfriend in front of her? C'mon now. That ain't too gentleman like."

Hearing enough, Two-Bit threw himself at the slimy hood and the two of them rolled onto the sidewalk. Two quickly stood up and braced himself for a good fight, already having landed one good hit to Craig's mug. With blood streaming from his nose, an ugly grimace on his face, it was easy to see why Craig was the youngest member of Brumly's organization. The danger was pouring off of him and scars on his face and neck stood out that he hadn't noticed before, signs of previous fights like this. He was a scary sight and Two-Bit hoped Bonnie got a good look at him.

"Two-Bit, stop!" Bonnie threw herself between the two boys and grabbed onto Two-Bit's arm, holding tightly. "Why're you doin' this?"

"Say goodbye to Craig, Bon. You ain't ever gonna see him again," he replied, his voice a growl.

Craig sized him up darkly. "Don't count us out just yet, Mathews."

"Get the fuck out of here," he bellowed, pointing towards the road. "And you tell the rest of your goons I see y'all. Just back off! I got a deal with your boss and I don't need you assholes followin' me all the time. Just get lost."

Almost as if to disagree, nearby a car revved angrily and Two-Bit had the wild notion that they might run him down in his own front yard. Instead, Craig slunk away into the dark, the car engine fading into a faint purr. He stood there in the darkness, staring out for any signs of movement. Whoever had been there wasn't anymore. Once he was satisfied, he turned to go back in.

Bonnie was still standing there, arms folded, clearly livid. "Two-Bit, you'd better tell me why that just happened. Don't tell me I'm too young to understand, 'cause I'm not. Why did you beat him up? How did he know you?"

He sighed and tried to find a way around it. Then again, Bonnie was right. She was old enough to learn from her big brother's mistakes. He wasn't perfect and she had every right to see that. He sat on the porch step and motioned fo her to join him. Bonnie huffed, but did as he asked, looking at his reddened knuckles when she sat by him.

"Look, I'm only tellin' you this 'cause I want you to learn somethin' from it," he started, holding her hand gently. "I want what's best for you, Bonnie. I really do. Ma tries so hard to make things good for us and I wanted to help."

So, he told her everything, leaving out only the worst parts. She was quiet through the whole thing, simply taking it all in. When he finished, she was quiet for a few minutes, just letting him hold her. Bonnie looked up at him, her eyes bright but tear-free.

"I love you, Two-Bit. You're an idiot and you shouldn't have done that, but I love you. You're the best big brother I could ever have." She squeezed him tightly and then her face lit up. "Wait here!"

He chuckled as she raced inside, completely clueless as to what she was doing. Bonnie was going to be okay, he thought. She might not have the easiest life and she might not have the most expensive gifts, but she was going to grow up and be okay.

Hurrying, hands behind her back, Bonnie came back outside. She had a sheepish grin on her face and Two-Bit saw why when she gave him what she had been holding.

"It's not a whole lot," she admitted, sitting back down. "But it's my life savings. I wanna help."

Two-Bit had cried twice in his life - once when Bonnie had been really sick as a baby and his mother wasn't sure she'd make it and the last time when Dally and Johnny had died. Yet now, sitting on his porch with his sisters gift in his hands, he felt the stinging in the back of his eyes that he tried to avoid at all times. He looked at his sister, stunned by her generosity and beyond proud of her.

"Bonnie, I can't take this," he whispered, his voice cracking. "This ain't right. It's your money, sweetie. You keep it. I've got a job, it'll be okay."

She shook her head and smiled at him. "I wanna help you, Two-Bit. You're always takin' care of Mama and me. Can't I take care of you once? Please. Just let me help a little, okay?"

Words escaped him and Two-Bit just stared at the money. She had roughly seventy-five dollars in bills and some odd change. It was almost a fifth of what he still owed Brumly, but it still felt wrong to take it from her. Bonnie deserved spending money and she had loved that dress so much. Giving him all of this money meant she was giving those things up and it was at that moment that Two-Bit realized just how much she had grown up.

Reading him like a book, Bonnie shrugged and stood up. "You're keepin' the money, buddy. If I need anything, I'll ask you, okay? But, just take that much. It'll make me feel better."

Two stood up and wrapped her into a tight hug, holding her like that for a while. He didn't deserve friends like the ones he had and he sure as hell didn't deserve a family like the one he had, he thought. But he was going to do right by them and put things the way they should have been. He owed it to all of them, to Bonnie, and to himself.

"Thank you, sweetheart."

"This just means I get to pick what we watch tonight," she added with a grin. "Since you chased off my date, and all."

He burst out laughing and nodded. "Alright, I guess I can live with that. C'mon, let's go in. I'll make us some snacks and we can watch some TV."

They headed back inside and Two-Bit felt a weight come off of his shoulders. He didn't have to hide the truth from his sister anymore and it would be easier to keep her safe that way. With one last glance around the darkness, Two-Bit closed the front door. On a second thought, he locked the front door for the first time in years. He'd call the guys and let them know, but he couldn't be too safe. Not these days, anyways.

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks.


	13. Dead or Alive

**A/N: **Please, as always ignore typos. I know I said I'd be updating on Mondays ... but I can't wait for Chapter 14, so I figured I'd speed up the process. Hope you don't mind.

**Disclaimer: **S.E. Hinton owns _The Outsiders_ and Styx owns the song "Renegade".

* * *

_Oh Mama I can hear you a-cryin',  
Y__ou're so scared and all alone.  
Hangman is comin' down from the gallows  
And I don't have very long._

_The jig is up, the news is out. They finally found me  
The renegade who had it made, retrieved for a bounty.  
Never more to go astray. This'll be the end today,  
Of the wanted man._

Chapter Thirteen

Two-Bit was counting the change in the register, getting ready for the last hour of his shift at work, when the bell above the door rang. Glancing up, he grinned as he saw his buddy come strolling in. Mac came up to the counter and glanced around, a wide grin on his face.

"So this is how you make a livin', huh?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so. Anythin' you wanna buy or you just here to give me a hard time?"

Mac acted offended, putting a hand to his chest. "Me? Give you a hard time? Why would you ever even say that?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

"I'll take a nutty donut, man," Mac decided, slapping down the change on the counter. "So, really, how d'ya like it here? Seems pretty nice. Quiet."

Two nodded as he grabbed the donut out for his friend. "Yeah, I really like it. The boss is pretty boss. Get it?"

"Har har," Mac chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Get a lotta business through here?"

"Actually, yeah. 'Specially on nights when they got a race goin' on. We're hoppin'."

Grabbing the bag, Mac nodded to him. "Thanks, man. Well, I'm real glad for ya. You're doin' a good thing here. 'Fore you know it, you'll be free and clear with some money to spare!"

He grinned with pride. "Well thanks, Mac. Means a lot. It feels good, havin' a job like this, ya know? You feel that way workin' on that farm outta town?"

Mac laughed with genuine amusement and shook his head. "No way, man. That's a shit job, but it pays real good. Just bidin' my time 'til I can get a bigger job. But, like I said, it pays good. Can't complain too much."

"Boy do I ever hear you there," he agreed.

"Mathews, delivery's in."

"Comin'," he hollered over his shoulder. "Duty calls. I'll catch up with you later, man. Maybe we can catch a race if they're still runnin' when I get out."

Smiling, Mac nodded. "Sounds real good. Don't work too hard, now."

Two-Bit laughed and headed for the back. "I'll try not to. See ya later, man."

Throwing the dirty rag down, Two-Bit got ready to help close up. Time for some fun, he thought with a grin.

XxX

Sitting on the counter, Two-Bit watched his buddies like a hawk as they looked under Lorraine, studying her body, under the hood, and her undercarriage. Steve kept smirking and shaking his head which was not a promising sign, he thought miserably. Eventually, Soda wiped his greasy hands on his jeans and glanced up.

"Two-Bit, your car is old as dirt. You know that right?"

He sighed and nodded. "Thought 'bout tradin' her in for somethin' speedy. Then Brumly hit me with the sack of shit deal and I'm out the Lorraine improvement money. So, how bad is she?"

Steve began to snicker and Soda elbowed him firmly. "She ain't that bad, surprisingly. Steering's intact, brakes look brand new. Your big problem is the engine. Sounds like somethin' came loose. Lotta clunking when she runs. That shouldn't be a big deal to fix, though."

"Nah, not really," Steve added, getting down to business. "Leave the car here for a couple days and we'll get it tuned up for ya. When do you want it done?"

Two shrugged. "Any time is fine, really. 'Cept weekends. I gotta get up to the Ribbon and can't without a ride, ya know."

"Tell ya what," Soda reasoned. "Leave it over night Friday and Stevie can give you a ride to work."

Both Soda and Two-Bit busted up laughing at the look on Steve's face, a rare and hilarious expression of surprise spreading quickly. "Hey now. How come you're volunteerin' me to be his chauffeur? I don't think so, asshole! You drive him."

Soda grinned broadly and threw his arm around Steve's shoulder. "Aw, c'mon. It'd be fun. Y'all can have some nice bondin' time."

Grumbling, Steve replied, "Alright. What time I gotta pick ya up by?"

"Quarter to seven."

"In the mornin'," he cried, eyes wide. "Oh come on! I ain't gettin' up for this bum."

"I love you too, Steve-oh," Two-Bit joked with a smile. "I'll bring along some breakfast. I'm sure Ma'll whip somethin' up if she knows you'll be around. She likes you for some weird reason."

Steve smirked at that. "Well yeah. I'm a respectable young man."

Soda grabbed his side and laughed, hard. "Oh, buddy. Mighta broke a rib on that one."

"Shut up, Pop. Alright, you got a deal, Two. No loud music, jokes, or talkin' until I wake up. And you'd better have some coffee with ya."

Saluting him, Two-Bit nodded curtly. "Yes, sir!"

Still grumbling, Steve headed back to work, closing the store door behind him. Soda turned to Two-Bit with a grin and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Thanks for lookin' the car over, man," Two-Bit said. "I really appreciate it. And I'll pay you both as soon as I got some spare change around."

"I know you will, Two. Don't worry 'bout it right now. I gotta get back in there though or Ben'll have my ass. See you later!"

Two-Bit waved goodbye and climbed into his car, pulling out and away from the DX. He was grateful that it was only the engine that needed fixing and nothing else. He still didn't have a whole lot of spare change to be throwing around on things like new car parts and he knew that Steve and Soda were good about charging him. It was a perk to have buddies so good with cars, he thought with a grin. Turning up the radio, he headed to Joanie's house. Her folks wouldn't be home and he knew that made a big difference in the atmosphere at her place. It was actually kind of cozy with just them there. Two-Bit could just imagine himself living in a house like that one day, with big, wooden doors and long hallways. And he was starting to picture Joan in that house with him, smiling and finally happy, all of the pain in their pasts buried and gone.

Maybe one day, he thought wistfully.

XxX

It was a busy day at the bakery,not leaving much time for Two-Bit to get any homework done behind the counter like he would have on a day that he was waiting for his next job. Joanie was always on his case about keeping up with his school work and for the firsst time in a while, Two-Bit thought he might actually stand a chance at graduating with his class. It was a scary concept, but she kept pushing him and Two-Bit was learning he didn't necessarily mind. He was starting to enjoy the whole living up to his potential experience.

The bell over the door dinged quietly, barely audible over the quiet murmur of the customers, and Two-Bit glanced up, his friendly greeting dying on his lips. Warren sneered at him, followed by Jeff, Melvin, and Craig. His bruises had faded from his face, but in their place was a dark, ugly expression. It was pure, total loathing. If Brumly didn't need him for the cash, Two-Bit would have bet anything that Craig would have killed him. He had no doubt about that.

"What d'you want," he growled, shoving his papers aside.

From the back, Shirley called out, "Manners, Two-Bit."

"Yeah," Warren drawled. "Manners, Mathews. You oughta know better than to talk to your customers like that."

A couple of girls sitting at the counter gave the Brumly goons a dirty look, scooting as far away as they could get. Jeff and Craig were observing their surroundings, taking in everything around them. Melvin watched his leader, grinning with glee. Warren noticed the uncomfortable girls and grinned broadly at them, sauntering over and throwing his arms around their shoulders.

"Hey there, sweethearts," he crooned, his face inches away from theirs. "How about we blow this joint and go somewhere a little more ... private?"

Disgusted, the girls grabbed their things and left in a hurry. Melvin snickered shrilly and patted Warren on the back. Craig simply stood by, silently glaring at Two-Bit.

"Hey, you ain't got any right to scare off payin' customers," Two-Bit said wearily. "Either you buy somethin' or get out. Boss don't allow no loiterin'."

"Oh, ho ho," Warren chuckled, eyebrows raised. "You tellin' us to get out, Mathews? Is that what I'm hearin'?"

Two-Bit put his hands on the counter, trying to keep calm. They wanted to piss him off. They wanted to get him angry and yelling. They also wanted to cost him every last customer in there. As he counted to ten, Melvin went over to another table and started hitting on one of the girls sitting there, causing her to get up and leave. He took her place, kicking his feet up on the table and reclining comfortably. Jeff was looking out of the window, watching something outside that Two-Bit couldn't quite see. Craig began studying the glass display case carefully and Two-Bit had the worst feeling that he was going to punch his fist through it. Or kick the glass out.

Oh, God.

"There a problem here, boys?" Harold appeared, arms folded and a scowl on his face. "Young man, that table is for dinin' not reclinin'. Get your boots off, now."

Scowling, Melvin kicked his feet off of the table and slunk over to where Warren stood. Two-Bit looked at Harold for help, but his boss seemed to misread his look.

"Your friends are normally much more polite than this, Two-Bit. I'm not sure I can tolerate socializin' durin' business hours if this behavior is gonna happen," Harold rumbled, eyes roaming over the greasy group.

Before Two could correct him, Warren spoke. "Oh gee, I'm awful sorry. My buddies here ain't exactly the best mannered, see. I apologize. We don't wanna cost good ole Two-Bit here his job or nothin'. We'll get on our way."

Wide-eyed, Two-Bit watched as they retreated. When Harold's attention drifted, Craig drew his finger across his neck, slowly, before pointing directly at Two's chest. He swallowed thickly, but held his gaze. And then they were gone.

Once the door chimed again, Harold let out a large sigh. "Listen son, it ain't none of my business who you bother to associate with. Just make sure they don't scare away all of our payin' folk. We gotta make a livin' somehow."

His beefy hand clapped down on Two-Bit's shoulder before he left for the back room again, getting ready to bake the goods for the afternoon. Two-Bit let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and sank into the chair behind the counter. Things were tentative, such a cautious balance had been struck in his life, and it was visits like those that reminded him of it. At any minute, the world he was so carefully building up could crumble down. And he was terrified when he considered what the cost might be.

Hanging up his apron, Two-Bit called out, "I'm gonna take my break now, Shirley."

He grabbed the phone off of the hook and dialed Joanie's number, taking steadying breaths while he waited for her to pick up. Hearing her voice would help, but Two-Bit couldn't shake the heavy feeling that had settled into his gut. Something in Craig's look told him this wasn't over. It was far from over.

XxX

Loud music was playing and the sound of loud laughter ran through the crisp autumn air. They were having a cookout at the Curtis' house and it was Joan's first time meeting all of them. Two-Bit was thrilled, practically dancing with excitment. He couldn't wait to show off his new girl to all of the guys and have her meet them. Joanie, on the other hand, was literally wringing her hands.

"Maybe I oughta stay home," she worried for the tenth time, stopping in her tracks as they reached the gate to the Curtis' house. "This is for your friends to hang out. I shouldn't really impose or anythin'."

He grinned and grabbed her hand, tugging her along. "C'mon. We've been over this. They're gonna love you. 'Sides, Steve told me he's bringin' Evie along and Soda's got his new girl comin', too. No point in me bein' all by my lonesome when I got a pretty girl like you back home."

Joan blushed and he took that as a good thing, speeding up his pace a little bit as he swung the front gate open. Out back, something loud crashed, hearty laughs following it. Two-Bit chuckled himself and opened the front door, giving Joanie an encouraging wink.

"Howdy, folks," he hollered jovially. "The party has arrived."

"Hey there, Two," Evie called from in the kitchen, sticking her head around the corner to smile at them. "Joanie! I'm so glad you came!"

She grinned shyly. "Hi, Evie. Need any help?"

Evie waved her off with a grin. "Nah, you go on out back. I'm sure Two wants to introduce you to everyone."

He steered her through the kitchen, introducing her to Darry's fiancée, Anna Wheeler. Out back was where the real party was at. Ponyboy was sitting on one of the chairs, laughing as he watched Soda and Steve horsing around. Darry was helping a beautiful redhead set the table, quietly chatting between themselves.

"Hey, Darry. Need some help?"

Glancing up, Darry's eyes fell on Joanie and he smiled warmly. "No, I think we're alright. Who's this, Two?"

"Joan Lawrence," she offered, extending a hand to him. "I've heard so much about you all."

"All good, I hope," he joked.

Soda came over to join them, taking the hand of the redhead and grinning at them. "You must be Joanie. Nice to meet you. I'm Sodapop and this is my girl, Caroline Davis."

"Nice to meet you both," Joanie smiled.

She met Steve and Ponyboy in turn and Two-Bit could already see her and Ponyboy getting along, chatting off to the side about some movie that was out in theaters. Two turned back to his friends, drinking beer by the back steps.

"So?"

"Two-Bit," Steve said, clapping him firmly on the shoulder. "I think you got a real nice girl, there."

"Here, here," Soda cheered, taking a large sip of his Pepsi.

Looking around, Two-Bit watched as she laughed and joked around with Ponyboy. Evie and Caroline had finished their work and were heading over to talk to her as well. Joanie fit into their group of friends effortlessly and Two-Bit watched her with a smile. It was so nice to see her happy and looking so carefree after everything she had face and still was facing at home.

"Dinner's finished," Anna called from the back door, smiling at them.

Soda whooped loudly and hurried up the steps, first one in the door with Steve right on his heels. Evie and Caroline rolled their eyes and laughed, making their way inside. Joan rejoined him and smiled warmly at him.

"Hey, Two?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for makin' me come to the party."

ooooo

After dinner, the couples began to break away from the group, heading back outside to enjoy the evening air. Two-Bit sat on the steps, smoking casually with Joan sitting with her back against his legs. Ponyboy sat on the grass nearby, talking to her about some book he was reading. Two grinned as he listened to them chatter on. He was glad to see they had hit it off. It wasn't until they clicked that he realized just how much he had been hoping Pony would like her.

"I'm gonna go grab another Pepsi. You want anything, Joanie?"

She shook her head and grinned at the younger greaser. "No, thanks. I'm alright."

He nodded and climbed over Two-Bit to get into the house.

"Oh, no, I'm okay. Thanks for askin, Pone," Two-Bit joked, sticking his tongue out at his friend.

Pony hit the back of Two-Bit's head as he darted into the kitchen, sending Joan into a fit of laughter. Two grinned and nudged her with his knee.

"You better not be laughin' at me, little lady."

She flipped him off, still laughing. "Oh, don't get all bent outta shape."

Two-Bit wrapped his arms around her and pulled Joanie in close, holding her tightly. It was that beautiful time of night, when the sky started changing colors and the night started to creep in around the edges. Joan was watching the sky carefully, its fading light shining on her upturned face. Two watched her, taking in every line, every freckle on her face. In that moment, he could see just how beautiful she was and just how young she looked. Softly, he kissed her cheek and watched the sky change with her.

"I think something happened to him."

He glanced at her, startled out of his silent reverie. "You mean David?"

Joan nodded and twisted a bit so she could see his face. "Yeah. I think somethin' happened."

"What d'you mean? I thought you thought he was okay."

"David wouldn't have left me alone," she reasoned, speaking quietly. "And I can't think of any other reason why he left. Something had to have happened to him. But what."

Two-Bit stayed quiet as she thought it out, watching her deep in thought. Joanie stayed silent for a while, riddling it out on her own. When she glanced up at him, her eyes were bright and Two-Bit reached over, squeezing her hand gently.

"Do you think he's dead?"

Her question caught him off guard and he gave her a stern look. "Joanie, I've told you before, I believe whatever you feel. You told me you don't think he's dead. And I believe that. Question is, do _you_ think he's dead?"

"No." Her answer was quick, but the rest of it was much slower and uncertain. "I just don't think what happened is as simple as him running away. I think something _did_ happen to him. But I don't know what."

"Well," he started, "What do you know?"

Joanie glanced up at him, a guarded look in her eyes that Two-Bit knew all too well. He pulled back a bit, giving her the room she needed. She noticed his retreat and softened her look a bit.

"I'm sorry. I just didn't wanna worry you anymore than you already are. You didn't need to hear any more bad news."

Frowning, he asked, "What d'you mean?"

She stared at her hands as she replied. "I think ... I think that Brumly had somethin' to do with it."

"Is that why you never wanted me to get involved with 'em?" It was all he could think to say, his mind going a hundred miles an hour.

"Mostly, yeah. David got it in his head he wanted to be in a gang. So he joined up with them. He was always gone and doing stuff, but he'd never tell me where he went or what he was up to. I just ... I don't trust them, Two-Bit. I don't feel like that's all there is to it. I think they had somethin' to do with him going missing," she insisted, watching him with a hint of desperation. "You still believe me, don't you?"

He squeezed her shoulder gently. "Of course, I believe you. And it wouldn't surprise me with some of the guys Brumly's got under his thumb if somethin' was set up."

Joan nodded, a faraway look in her eyes. Two-Bit stayed quiet, thinking about the entire thing. He had no idea when it all had started just how big of an operation Brumly was running. As it became more and more clear, though, he was starting to regret ever taking the devil up on his deal.

XxX

"I'll be back in a bit, Ma," he called over his shoulder, pulling the door closed behind him.

He had to go in and open for Harold since he'd caught a cold, so he was out of the house even earlier than normal. The up side was he got the afternoon off, he thought with a grin. Inside the house, he heard loud, girlish laughter and he smiled broadly. Joan had come over to help Bonnie with some of her homework, not that Ginny minded the company. His mother adored her, telling him at least five times a day how lucky he had been to catch a girl like that. She'd never been that fond of Kathy, always calling her "chatty" and "too perky for her own good". Two-Bit swelled with happiness as he thought about Joanie fitting right in with everyone important to him. It was too good to be true.

As he finally pulled in to the bakery parking lot, he immediately knew something was wrong. It was the way the front blinds hung, slightly closed and slightly off kilter, like someone had ripped them when they were in a hurry to get them closed.

"Shit."

Two-Bit threw the car in park and hurried up to the door, fumbling for his key. He tried the door anyways and was surprised as it swung open with ease, not locked. Harold and Shirley were diligent about safety. There was no way they left it unlocked over night. Fumbling in the dark, Two-Bit found the light switch and flipped it on. The minute he did, he wished he hadn't. It would have been better to be in the dark than see the mess in front of him.

The front display case had been smashed in, shattering all of the glass. Tables were flipped and chair legs were busted. The blinds indeed had been torn, probably when they tried to close them in a hurry and they didn't work. Swearing lowly, Two-Bit stepped carefully over the broken pieces of furniture and around to look in the register. That was when the note caught his attention. Glancing at it, he realized what he had known all along.

"That son-of-a-bitch."

_Mathews,_

_Thanks for the key, man. What are friends for?_

Looking up, he thought of a million reasons to give the cops for the note. He was framed. He didn't do it. He didn't know what happened. He was innocent. But he knew they wouldn't buy it. Even Harold wouldn't, having mistaken Brumly's boys for friends of his. They would know. Even if he got rid of the note, they would figure it out. Brumly was good. They were damn good. And they were damn exhausting.

He collapsed onto the chair behind the counter and dialed the police. Might as well let them know what happened now and get it over with, he thought miserably. Either way, he was going to jail and he knew it. At least until they figured the whole thing out. After he got off of the phone with the fuzz, he called home, telling Ginny that he would be late and not to worry about him. As he hung up the phone once more, the distant sound of sirens reached his ears and he sighed heavily. It wasn't even six in the morning and things were already that bad. At least they couldn't get much worse, he thought.

* * *

**A/N: **Thanks again. The next chapter is the big one. I hope you're ready for it.


	14. The Last Night

**A/N:** Please ignore any typos. Do me a favor, **listen to this song**.

_Warning:_ A pretty good cliffy awaits you.

**Disclaimer:** S.E. Hinton owns _The Outsiders_ and Blue Oyster Cult owns the song "(Don't Fear) The Reaper".

* * *

_All our times have come.  
Here, but now they're gone.  
Seasons don't fear the reaper  
Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain.  
We can be like they are._

_Love of two is one. Here but now they're gone.  
Came the last night of sadness,  
And it was clear she couldn't go on.  
Then the door was open and the wind appeared,  
The candles blew then disappeared._

Chapter Fourteen

Throwing his cigarette away, Two-Bit raised a hand in greeting as Mac approached him, his signature smile missing from his face. It was Saturday afternoon and while Two-Bit should have been at work, he wasn't.

Because he didn't have a job.

He'd been lucky, Harold and Shirley had liked him, so they didn't want to press any charges against him. Still, they had to let him go and he knew it. He wouldn't have expected any different.

"Hey, buddy," Mac greeted, wiping the light dusting of snow off and sitting beside him on top of the park table. "How's it hangin'?"

Two-Bit gave him a serious look and offered him a smoke. Accepting it, Mac shrugged, but stayed quiet. It was chilly out, winter finally here, and Two-Bit had felt the chill settle in his bones as well. Brumly lost him his job. Thankfully, he'd saved up quite a bit of cash and was very close to being debt free. But it was the way they kept fucking with him that really pissed him off. They couldn't just leave him alone. They had to make it even harder for him just to get the cash and get it over with. It wasn't fair.

Mac was staring at him and sighed. "Man, I'm sorry about your job. It sucks, really. But there's nothin' you can do now. Might as well just dust off and keep on goin'."

"I know," he replied. "But it's the principle of it. They don't gotta keep screwin' with me, but they do. It's gettin' old and I'm awful sick of it."

"Can't say I blame you."

"Has anyone even seen them around lately? I called 'em up and no answer, but they ain't been at any of their normal hangouts, either." Two-Bit had recruited the help of Tim and his boys to try and pin Brumly down, but to no avail. They had simply disappeared.

"Not that I've heard of," Mac answered, staring out at the woods. "Look man, just get the rest of the cash to 'em and it'll be over. You can forget the whole mess."

Two-Bit chuckled and wiped his hands on his jeans. "I sure as hell hope it'll be over then."

A car door closed in the distance and both boys glanced to see who it was. Joanie's familiar blue coat came into view and Two grinned, waving her over.

"Hey, Joan," Mac called in greeting, smiling at her. "How ya doin'?"

She gave him a small smile and Two-Bit could see she had something on her mind. "Hey. I'm not bad, thanks. You?"

"Oh, I'm just fine an' dandy." He grinned and threw an arm around her shoulders. "I'm just glad to see you two together, man. It's been good for ya. Like you're both really startin' over and all."

"I'm still looking for David," she replied, giving him a look. "As a matter of fact, I'm gonna talk to a couple of girls later that said they might know somethin' about him going missing."

Mac rolled his eyes. "Joanie, you know I love ya like a sister, but c'mon. David wouldn't want you hangin' on forever, ya know?"

Ignoring him, Two-Bit looked at her. "Really? Who are they?"

She shrugged. "Just a couple ex-girlfriends of some of David's old gang buddies. I found their names the other day in some old letters I had and figured it was worth a shot. You wanna come?"

"Nah, Sodapop and Steve were headin' up to the arcade. I figured I'd go along and have some fun. Unless you want me to go with you," he added, unsure.

"No, that's okay. Go ahead. I'll call you after we get together."

She gave him a quick kiss and told Mac goodbye, heading back to her car. When she was gone, Mac shook his head and grumbled under his breath.

"What?"

Mac looked up at him and shrugged. "I'd been hopin' you woulda gotten through to her, ya know? Help her get over the whole David mess. I didn't know you'd encourage it."

"Look," he reasoned, "It's her brother and until she knows for sure, one way or another, she's gonna keep lookin' for answers. Joan has it in her head that he's alive and she's gonna find out one way or another. I'm not gonna stand in her way."

Sighing, Mac agreed. "Yeah, I know. I'm just afraid of what she might find out."

Two-Bit nodded, lighting up another smoke. "Yeah. Me too."

XxX

The phone rang for the sixth time and Two-Bit was on the verge of hanging up when Mac finally picked up the other line.

"Hello," he snapped.

Startled Two-Bit drew back from the phone slightly. "Hey there, buddy. What's got your shorts in a bunch?"

"Nothin'. What d'you need, Two-Bit?"

Mac was never one to mince words, always taking his time and shooting the breeze. Two-Bit was taken aback and quite uncertain about how to continue their conversation.

"Jus' wonderin' where you been lately, man. Haven't been able to get in touch with you. Wanted to make sure everything's okay."

"Everything's fine," he replied. "I gotta go, though. I'll talk to you later."

He hung up without a moment's hesitation and Two-Bit slowly did the same. Mac had a younger brother, maybe there was trouble with him, he thought.

XxX

"Two-Bit!"

Turning, he saw Joanie hurrying towards him, weaving her way through the crowds at the pool hall. He grinned and waved to her, but something on his face caught his attention and his hand fell back to his side. Frowning, he waited for her to reach him and then stepped off to the side.

"I think I know what happened to David."

"Are you serious?"

She nodded eagerly, a strange sense of urgency clear on her face. "We need to talk. There's somethin' you should know."

"I'm listenin'."

"Hey, guys!"

Mac appeared, making a much easier path through the crowd with his larger frame, his grin back in place on his face. Joanie tensed up beside him and offered a small smile when he came up to them.

"Sorry I've been missin' in action lately," he groaned, rubbing his neck. "Kid brother went and got in some shit up in Catoosa. Had to go bail him out and deal with some of the locals. Stressful shit, man. How's it goin'? I feel like I haven't seen y'all in forever."

"Well Joan was just gonna tell me -"

"I'll tell you later," she cut across him. "I got a couple of errands to run anyways. I'll see you tonight."

Without another word, Joanie disappeared back into the crowd, leaving the two boys behind. Mac whistled lowly and shook his head, looking to Two-Bit for guidance.

"Don't worry about it," Two offered. "She's just been stressin' out a lot over the whole David thing. We'll just talk later."

Mac grinned. "Oh yeah, tonight's your big date out at the Ribbon, huh?"

Two-Bit wagged his eyebrows and nodded. "Yep, you got that right."

"Well you have fun, but not too much fun! Don't do nothin' I wouldn't, you read me?"

They shared a loud laugh and set up for a quick game of pool. Two-Bit kept thinking about the look on Joan's face and the excitement for tonight was suddenly joined with curiosity. She knew something and it was something big. He was just anxious to find out what it was.

XxX

_Valentine is done. Here but now they're gone. Romeo and Juliet are together in eternity. Romeo and Juliet...Come on baby, don't fear the reaper._

XxX

Bonnie sulked on the couch, watching him as he got ready with the pouty look he knew all too well. Sighing, he ignored her and continued to mess with his hair in the mirror, making sure he looked as good as he could. Behind him his sister matched his sigh and added a bit more volume, earning a wide grin from Two-Bit.

"What's on your mind, Bonnie?"

The front door swung open and Joan came inside, smiling at the both of them. "Hey, guys. You almost ready, Two?"

"Two-Bit, can I please go? I promise I won't be a pest or anythin'! You won't even know I'm there," Bonnie pleaded, looking exceptionally pitiful.

"What happened to your date for the evening," Joan asked, frowning.

She huffed angrily. "He told me he'd rather go out with Mary-Beth Sherman than me. So I'm out of a date. I don't wanna sit here all by my self."

Joanie got the look on her face that told Two-Bit that Bonnie had won her over. Damn these women, he thought.

"C'mon, Two. She can come along. It'll be fun. Hey, I know! Why don't you bring Ponyboy along?"

Groaning, Two-Bit rubbed his head. "Why don't I just bring the whole gang?"

With a pointed look, Joan sat beside Bonnie on the couch. "Don't you get all bitchy with me. Now, your sister is gonna come with us. It's up to you whether or not you do the nice thing and bring someone for her to hang around with or not."

He looked between the two girls, realizing that he had lost long before the argument had even begun. With a heavy sigh, he picked up the phone and dialed the Curtis' number. He pointed at Joanie and gave her a stern look.

"You owe me, babe."

Blowing him a kiss, she smiled. "Go get dressed, Bonnie. You wanna look cute tonight."

Bonnie squealed and hugged her happily. She stuck her tongue out at Two-Bit and darted down the hall, happily humming as she went. On the phone, Pony was about as hard to convince as Bonnie was, anxious to get out of his house.

"Be there in about ten minutes." Two-Bit hung the phone back in the cradle and wrapped his arms around Joanie's waist. "What about our night? We were gonna have a good time together and you wanted to tell me about somethin' with David."

She considered it for a minute. "Your sister deserves to have a good time, too. And I'll tell you 'bout all of that after. When you drop me off at home, I'll fill you in then."

Leaning down, Two-Bit gave her a gentle kiss, enjoying the taste of her on his lips. Bonnie cleared her throat impatiently in the hallway and tapped her foot, making that irritating clicking sound.

"I'm ready."

"Just remember," he told Joanie. "_You're_ the one that invited her."

ooooo

Much to Two's surprise, the evening turned out to be a great time. The two couples enjoyed the races and it was a lot more fun to have another guy to joke around with. Two-Bit wouldn't admit it, but he was glad that Joan had invited the two kids to come along. It had been a good time.

The group headed back to the car, laughing loudly and enjoying the night. A chill had crept in over the course of their evening and Two-Bit had a feeling there would be more snow before long. He smiled at the thought. There wasn't much better than a fresh snowfall.

Joan was walking with Bonnie, slightly behind the boys. They kept their voices low, but their girlish giggles carried through the air and Ponyboy grinned beside him.

"Girls, huh?"

Laughing, Two-Bit nodded. "Girls. You got that right, kiddo."

Conversation dropped and a cheery silence ensued, not the least bit uncomfortable. The four friends climbed into Lorraine and headed for home. Joanie turned on the radio and searched for a station that measured up to her standards. Finally she settled on one with a smile and leaned back in her seat, humming along with the tune. In the backseat, Pony and Bonnie were chatting animatedly.

As they drove, Two-Bit became increasingly aware that something was wrong. He kept his smile in place and continued to joke when necessary, but a lead weight had settled in his gut and he recognized it as that impending sense of doom that had settled over him only on a few occasions before. Subtly, he tried applying the brakes again, but he knew it wouldn't work. His brakes weren't working. They were approaching alarming speeds and on the hills leading back from the Ribbon, that meant nothing good.

Especially in winter.

Joan glanced at his speedometer and grinned a bit. "You know, Steve was only kiddin' about you bein' a lead foot. You don't have to live up to his title for you. Slow it down a bit, hun."

He nodded, his eyes never leaving the road, as he tried desperately to slow the careening car down. In the backseat, neither Bonnie nor Pony had noticed the problem yet, but he could feel Joanie shift forward as she began to register what was happening.

"Two-Bit, why don't you slow down a little?"

"I think you know why, Joanie."

Feeling her eyes on him he nodded his head once, answering her silent question. Beside him, she cussed quietly and looked around the car for something to hold on to or something to use. Two-Bit knew there was nothing. They were fucked. He remained silent though, maintaining a tight hold on his steering wheel.

They approached the first corner on the road, the smaller of the two, and Two-Bit gritted his teeth as they whipped around it, much faster than they should have gone. That got the attention of his passengers as they were thrown against their doors and all signs of joking were gone. A tense, fearful silence filled the car and Joan was the one to break it.

"There's nothin' you can do?"

He simply shook his head, staring at the large drop off he knew was coming. They wouldn't have a chance to slow down as they climbed the hill because there really was no climb. It was just a giant drop. And they were going to plummet out of control.

"Two-Bit, what's wrong," Bonnie asked, her voice quiet.

Joan reached back and gave her hand a squeeze. "Don't you worry, Bonnie. You two just stay right like you are. We'll be fine."

"I don't understand," Two-Bit muttered. "Steve and Soda just checked the car out. The brakes were find. Like brand new ones, they told me."

She was quiet for a minute and then she sucked in a quick breath. "I think I understand it. Oh Jesus, Two-Bit."

They were approaching the highest point on the hill and could see over it now. It wouldn't be the hill that took them, but it was that turn up ahead that had Two-Bit shaking.

"Just hang on. We'll be fine."

Joanie reached over and put her hand on his arm. "I know."

And then, they were falling. The car simply picked up momentum as they raced down the hill, moving faster and faster as they approached the bottom. In the backseat, Bonnie had started to cry and Pony was quietly trying to reassure her, an arm around her shoulders, but as they reached the bottom part of the hill, they began to scream. Even Joanie drew in a sharp breath and let out a scream. Two-Bit tried desperately to drag the car back under his control, but it was too late. It had always been too late.

The car smashed into the side guard rail, the loudness of the impact reaching a deafening volume. Steel on steel, glass shattering, frozen air whipping past them. Everything happened so quickly, it was too much to take in. Two-Bit tried to steer the car, but steering was as impossible as braking and he saw the tree just before they collided with it, the full force throwing him against the seatbelt so hard, he lost his breath. And then they were still.

The only sound was the radio, quietly continuing to play, an eerie reminder of how normal the night had begun. Pain was screaming from countless parts of his body and his chest throbbed from where he'd hit the steering wheel. There had to be some busted ribs, he thought drowsily. Two-Bit fought to keep his eyes open, to look around and make sure the others were alright, but his lids were too heavy. Just before he drifted away, a bright flash of red caught his attention and he struggled to concentrate on it. A flash of chrome and the quiet purr of an engine were all he could make out and he gave in to the unconsciousness.

ooooo

Two-Bit had no idea how long he was out. When he came to, it was silent. Trying to move his head was agonizing, so he took in the scene from the angle he was at. Shredded bits of metal covered the roadway. Two-Bit saw the front bumper crumpled and bent, wrapped around the guard rail. The only light came from the moon and in it, the glass on the pavement looked like diamonds, millions of them just scattered everywhere for people to see. It was oddly beautiful, peaceful. But there was smoke, steadily creeping from under the hood. Forcing himself, Two-Bit reached forward and grabbed the keys out of the ignition, turning the engine off.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, Two turned his head to look at Joanie. He had to see her. In the darkness, Two-Bit was surprised to see her eyes open and alert, staring at him in silent pain. She was awfully far forward in her seat and from where he was, Two-Bit could see a deep gash on her head. He wanted to reach out to her, but he couldn't seem to make his arm move.

"Are you alright," he croaked, his throat dry.

She offered him a weak smile. "I don't know. You?"

"Same," he whispered. "Bonnie? Ponyboy?"

There was silence from the backseat and Two-Bit felt his stomach sink to his feet. Oh God. "Bonnie! Answer me, dammit! Bonnie."

Joanie turned her head slightly and gazed into the back. "They're breathing. There's blood, but they're breathing. They both are."

He sighed in relief, but knew that they weren't anywhere close to safe yet. They had to get help. "How long was I out?"

"I dunno," she murmured. "I was, too."

Looking back to the road, he thought about trying to get out of the car and flag down some help. Two-Bit grimaced as pain shot through his leg and he quickly abandoned that idea. They were screwed. He took a deep breath and nearly gagged. It had taken him a while, but he finally smelled it, thick and distinct in the air.

Blood.

He turned away, crying out from the pain and vomited out of the window. Joanie was breathing heavily beside him and he tried to grab her hand again. There was something slick and wet on her hand and Two-Bit realized she was bleeding from somewhere other than her head. From the amount on his hands, she was bleeding a lot.

"Jesus, Joanie," he muttered, trying to reach out to help again.

"I'll be alright," she replied quietly.

She grabbed for his hand, but Two-Bit was alarmed by how weakly she squeezed it. They had to get out of there and they had to do it now.

"Jesus Christ," an unfamiliar voice sounded. "Worse than I thought! Darla, you wait by the road and flag 'em down! Hey, anybody alive in there?"

Two-Bit grimaced at the implication and hollered back. "Yeah, we're all alive. Can't move though."

The stranger shouted back to him. "Don't worry, we called the ambulance. Them boys should be here in a jiff. Y'all just stay where you are."

"You got it, Mister," he muttered, weary from the effort of talking. He turned back to Joanie and realized just how pale she was. "Bonnie and Ponyboy, are they?"

"Alive," she answered quietly. "I can't tell much else. Oh God, Two-Bit I'm so sorry."

"What are you sorry for?"

She let out a heavy sigh and began to cough, a thick, hacking cough. Two-Bit tried to reach over to her, but his arm wasn't cooperating again. He took another deep breath, trying to ignore the stench in the air. It was strong and reeked of blood and guilt. Their blood. His guilt.

Joan mumbled something to him, but her head was lolling against her chest, threatening to loss consciousness again.

"No, you stay awake, Joanie. C'mon, I can hear the sirens already. We're gonna get outta here."

And as he said it, far away he could hear the familiar wail. A wave of relief washed over him as he knew help was on the way. But as silence fell over the car once more, he realized he was alone. He was completely alone and fear crept up in the back of his throat, threatening to choke him.

Their blood was on his hands now.

ooooo

"BP is 80/60, pulse rate 115."

"Start checking him for shock."

"There may be a neck injury over here!"

"BP is dropping!"

There were dozens of people in white rushing around him, grabbing, yelling, and hurrying. Overwhelmed, he tried to close his eyes against it all, but the nurses surrounding him had seen him wake up and were beginning to interrogate him.

"Sir, do you know your name? Do you know where you are? Do you know what happened?"

Ignoring them all, he focused on the important things. "Where's my sister? And my friend? My girlfriend was with me, too. Where are they? Are they alright?"

The nurse put a hand on his shoulder, pushing him back down against the bed. "Let's get you fixed up first, son. Don't try and get up from this bed. Your leg is in no condition to be supportin' you on."

"Where's everyone? Tell me they're alright! Will someone just tell me what the fuck is going on?" He was getting more and more irritated with the bustling workers, all of them ignoring his questions and focusing only on their own.

A doctor came over with a syringe full of something clear and gave him a stern look. "Son, I need you to calm down. Hollering at my nurses isn't gonna help matters. We're doing everything we can to help you kids."

"I just wanna know what's going on!"

He injected part of the medication into an IV in his arm and Two-Bit glared at him angrily. "That's for pain, son. You'll have a good deal of it with that leg. Just rest."

And then, the overhead system crackled to life. The voice of whoever was speaking was loud and clear, cutting through the medicated haze Two-Bit was falling into.

"Code blue. Repeat, code blue."

The doctor darted out of the room and in the hallway, Two could see nurses racing towards another room. Two-Bit didn't have a clue what that meant and simply closed his eyes. He was almost completely out when he finally heard it. The sound that he had been listening for the entire time he was there and didn't even realize it. His stomach leapt to his throat and he felt like vomiting again.

Out in the hallway, the steady beeping of a monitor cried out, telling everyone who heard it that someone was flat-lining. Someone was dying. Their faces flashed in his mind. Joan. Pony. Bonnie. Oh God, he prayed wildly, already feeling the drugs pulling him under, let it be me. Don't let it be one of them. Let it be me. He tried to sit up, but found he couldn't move a thing.

Before he could call out for a nurse to tell him what was happening, the darkness in his mind swallowed him up and then, there was nothing.

* * *

**A/N:** The more reviews I get, the more likely I'll update on time (Monday). The less ... well, you get the idea(;


	15. Stop Haunting My Dreams

**A/N:** Please ignore any typos. Enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** S.E. Hinton owns _The Outsiders_ and My Darkest Days owns the song "Can't Forget You".

* * *

_When anybody says your name I wanna run away.  
I keep remembering I can't forget you.  
It doesn't matter when I try it happens anyway.  
It's been forever and I can't forget you.  
With every single day, it won't go away._

_I hate to feel this way, my days all feel the same  
And yesterday was proof, that tomorrow will too.  
No matter what they say, can't drink it all away,  
'Cause all that I do, is think about you._

Chapter Fifteen

There was chaos in the hallway outside of his room, a mass of voices hollering and crying. Two-Bit recognized them all. His mother was weeping, begging someone to tell her what had happened to her babies. The loudest of all was, surprisingly, Soda. He was shouting at the staff, telling them exactly what he was planning on doing if they didn't start answering his questions. Darry was the voice of reason, trying to keep them all calm.

Two-Bit realized he was hearing them. He realized what that meant - that he had survived. But that beeping, that steady, monotonous beeping had still sounded and now he knew it hadn't been for him. Who was going to be getting the bad news?

The door to his room swung open and Soda flew in, eyes wide with fear. He looked at Two-Bit and swore quietly, his expression softening a bit.

"Goddamn, Two," he whispered. "What the hell happened to you?"

"They set us up," Two-Bit croaked. "Brakes didn't work."

He swore loudly and Darry entered the room. Two-Bit had never seen him look so completely terrified. And it was his fault.

"Any news on the kid?"

Soda shook his head angrily, slamming his fist on the end table. "No, dammit! They won't tell us a goddamn thing!"

"Pepsi, yellin' won't help," Darry tried to soothe him, but it had the opposite effect.

"Well what the hell am I supposed to do," he hollered, eyes bright. "Can't do anything else in this damn place. I can't do a damn thing."

As Two-Bit watched, Soda began to crumple, his anger quickly evaporating into a mess of nerves. If he had just been able to stop his car. Without another word, Soda hurried out of the room, the door swinging shut behind him. Darry stared after his brother for a minute and then glanced back to Two-Bit.

"Was he ... I mean, was Pone ... "

"He was breathin', Dar. That's all Joanie could tell."

He nodded curtly and stared at the white sheets on the bed. "I oughta go after 'im."

Two-Bit waved him off and watched his friend hurry after what may be the only brother he had left. The thought brought a fresh wave of pain and Two-Bit shut his eyes, gritting his teeth against the memories. Why couldn't it have been him?

XxX

"So you mean to tell me you have no idea how your brakes got cut?"

Two-Bit stared blankly at the table in front of him, barely hearing the officer asking him the questions. He shook his head slowly. The cop sighed and lit up another cigarette. The smell made Two's throat burn and he ached for a drink. A stiff one that would make his throat burn and his brain numb.

"Where'd you say you go to get your car fixed up?"

He thought of Soda and Steve, his buddies, the two that had stood by him no matter what and he bit his tongue. No way he'd throw them under the bus. Not for something like this. Not when they could be slapped with a reckless homicide charge. Hell no. They weren't going down for his shit. This was his fault and he would take the blame.

"I didn't say," he muttered. "I fix it myself. I probably nicked the brakes when I was workin' the other day. It was my fault."

The cop nodded and paced the room, glancing at the file in front of him. "Well, I got nothin' to hold you on, Mathews. You're free to go. If we have any other questions, though, we'll be in touch."

Two nodded his understanding and stood carefully, grabbing the crutch that was laying on the floor by his chair. His leg was fucked up something good and the doctors had given him crutches to use. He hated them more than anything, but walking was a bitch without them. So, he sucked it up and used the damn things. He stood, waiting for the officer to lead him out. He opened the door and they walked down the short hallway back out into the waiting room. It was virtually empty.

"And Mathews, I'm real sorry about your loss," the cop added.

He didn't even bother to reply. Why should he? No point. Condolences didn't mean anything to him. Words were simply words. They didn't fix the mess that had become his life. Nothing would.

Darry and Soda sat in the waiting room and when he came around the corner they were on their feet, coming over to him. Two-Bit could see fresh worry lines on Darry's forehead and some creases that hadn't been on Soda's before the accident. Again, his fault. They headed outside before Two felt comfortable talking.

"Don't worry," he said, quietly. "I didn't mention you and Steve lookin' at my car. Played it off like I messed up my brakes when I was looking under the hood. Didn't want the social worker gettin' on your case for bein' associated with someone that had ties to Brumly."

Soda let out a huge sigh of relief, but Darry was more subtle, staring intensely at Two-Bit. He clapped a large hand on his shoulder and caught his eye.

"Thank you, Two-Bit. We owe you, really. Anything you need."

"Just keep the kid away from me," he muttered. "He's safer that way."

It was Soda that reached out and stopped him as he started to walk away. "Don't. Don't do that to yourself, Two. None of us blame you. Ponyboy doesn't blame you. Don't go away again, man. We just got you back."

He looked up at them, their faces weary and concerned. They were good friends. Two-Bit knew he didn't deserve friends like them, yet here they were. The thought made his throat tighten, eyes burning.

"I gotta get back to the hospital."

They gave him sad looks and he swallowed thickly, staring at his shoes. Soda shuffled uncomfortably and Two-Bit knew he was searching for the right thing to say. Unfortunately, there really wasn't much he _could_ say. Nothing changed with words.

"We're so sorry, Two."

Darry cleared his throat and Two looked up at him, not surprised to see a great deal of understanding in his eyes. And pain.

"You need anything, you call us. I don't care what time it is, Two. You read me?"

He nodded once. "Loud and clear."

Without waiting for them to reply, he turned and walked in the direction of the hospital. His mother had left her car home in case he needed it, but Two was in no hurry to drive. Not only had Lorraine been totalled, but every time he even came close to a car, his palms got sweaty and his stomach seized up violently. So he walked. It wasn't like Ginny was needing her car anyways; she had been staying up at the hospital with Bonnie ever since the crash, just waiting for her to wake up. Two felt sick at the thought. Bonnie's doctors said she had endured a serious concussion and other minor injuries, but she hadn't woken up. They didn't have any good answers as to why and Two-Bit didn't have the heart to ask any questions. He knew. He saw it on their faces. It was his fault. The whole damn thing.

Clearing his throat, he pressed the heel of his palm into his eyes and pushed the moisture back. He crossed the street and headed on his way, shrugging his shoulders against the chilly winter breeze.

XxX

Her funeral was a couple of days later.

It was small, not many people showing up. The guys were all there, their girls in tow. Some of Tim Shepard's boys showed up, Tim and Curly included. It was a small gesture, but one he didn't overlook and it meant a lot to him. Ponyboy showed up with his brothers, his arm in a cast and stitches standing out on his pale cheek. He came up to Two-Bit and without a word, gave him a firm hug. It said more than words ever could and for that, Two was grateful.

The actual service was short, just a few short prayers and some songs, a quick eulogy. Standing in the cemetery, Two-Bit just stared into the gaping hole in the earth, unable to fathom having to bury yet another person that had come to mean so much to him. If he had only known what his deal would cost him and those around him, he thought wildly.

Joan's parents didn't speak to anyone, her mother wiped her eyes twice in the entire procession and her father remained stoic and silent. Two wanted to throttle them, but knew it would do no use. They wouldn't feel it. They didn't feel anything anymore and Two-Bit found above all, he pitied them. They were burying two children, the only ones they had. One they had put all of their faith, time, and love into and one had wanted nothing but to be noticed by them. And now they were both gone, buried beside each other on the hill.

He watched as Joanie's deep mahogany casket was lowered into the ground, a scattering of pink and red rose petals on top of the lid. Two-Bit felt his breathing hitch, but he cleared his throat, easing the building tension inside. He wouldn't cry. He'd used all of his tears sitting by Bonnie's bed, pleading with her to wake up. Only time would tell, her doctors said. Two-Bit had to have hope. If she didn't wake up, everything that ever mattered would be gone.

Meanwhile, Joan was gone. Any secrets she had were being buried with her and he would never know the truth. Joan had known what happened to David and while he didn't know exactly what she knew, he was more than willing to bet that it had something to do with Brumly. And they'd found out. Whether they had set him up to keep her quiet or get him back for everything, he wasn't sure. Either way, they considered his debt repaid.

He'd gotten the phone call a day after he returned home from the hospital, a simple message on the phone saying he wouldn't hear from them again. Although he was relieved, he couldn't fully appreciate it. They had cost him so much already.

Ponyboy came over to him once the other mourners started to disperse, the ceremony over. He put his good hand on Two's shoulder and looked at the casket as well, a frown on his face. Two-Bit shifted uncertainly.

"Two, I'm real sorry about Joan. I liked her a lot, man. We all did. And I know what she meant to you."

He nodded, not trusting himself to speak just yet.

"How's Bonnie?"

Shrugging, he muttered. "She's still unconscious. Not sure why. Doctors say she should wake up any time now. Ma's gettin' worried. Kid, I'm sorry. I fucked up."

"Stop," Pony interjected, holding up his hand. "This wasn't on you. Don't take all of the blame, okay? Really. I hate to see you goin' through this. It wasn't your fault."

"Thanks, kiddo."

Still, Two couldn't bring himself to relax in Pony's company. His bright, white cast and newly stitched up cheek stood out to him, not to mention the shooting pain Two-Bit felt with every step he took, both painful reminders that things were not normal and probably wouldn't be for a very long time. He felt a hitching in his chest and coughed, trying to loosen the knot. It pressed even harder on his heart and Two-Bit wondered how long it would be before that knot loosened. It had taken Joan to help him finally put his past to rest. Now, she'd become another name on another gravestone. How would he move past this?

"I oughta go," he muttered. "Should be there with Ma and Bon. It was good of you to come, Pone. Thanks."

"You want some company?"

He gave Pony a weak grin and threw his arm carefully around his shoudlers. "Thanks, but you oughta get home. Spend some time with your brothers. They nearly shit themselves about you, kid. Do me a favor, don't scare 'em no more."

Pony chuckled and nodded, scuffing his shoe in the snow. "I'll do my best, Two. Stop by the house soon?"

"I'll try."

His friend hesitated, trying to think of something else to say, but slowly began heading back to his brothers. Two-Bit remained behind for a few minutes longer, but as fresh snow began drifting lazily down, he decided it was time to head back up to see Bonnie. Maybe today would be the day, he thought. Maybe.

XxX

Two-Bit ambled slowly through the cemetery, a bundle of fresh roses clenched in his hand. It was his weekly visit to Joanie's grave and, like every other time, he'd brought her flowers. Why hadn't he ever bothered to do it while she could appreciate it?

As he came up the hill to where her grave was, Two-Bit came up short. There was another guy there, his hands shoved in his pockets and collar flipped up against the wind. Two watched the stranger as he bowed his head, quietly speaking to no one in particular. It wasn't Joan's dad, that was for sure, but Two couldn't tell just who the guy was. He didn't recognize him.

After a few minutes of privacy, Two-Bit decided to let his curiosity take over and crept forward as best he could with his leg. As he approached, the stranger heard the crunching of the snow and turned to see who had joined him. His face was oddly familiar, but Two-Bit couldn't place him. He sure as hell wasn't from around town, but Two-Bit had a feeling he knew who he was.

"Don't mean to intrude," Two called out as he approached her grave. "Didn't expect company."

The other boy nodded and pointed to the small array of flowers. "These from you?"

Two-Bit nodded as well and put the fresh bunch along with the others. He stuck his hand out for the other guy to shake. "Name's Two-Bit Mathews."

They shook hands and the stranger smiled thinly. "Good to meet you. How'd you know her?"

"Joan? She was my girlfriend. How about you?"

The stranger stared at her headstone and a small grin flitted across his scarred features. "Family friend. Heard she was in a wreck. If you don't mind my sayin', looks like you were with her."

Two-Bit barked out a bitter laugh. "Yeah, you could say that. I was drivin'."

He shot him a sharp look and Two-Bit was afraid the guy was about to slug him. Then, the look passed and he was nodding slowly.

"Say, you wanna go get some lunch?"

"I have a feelin' you got somethin' you wanna talk about," Two-Bit replied cautiously, giving the stranger a look.

It was his turn to laugh and he shrugged. "You could say that. It's on me."

Two held up a hand and shook his head. "Please. I'll buy my own way. I ain't gonna be in nobody's debt. But I suppose lunch sounds fine. Let's go chat, stranger."

The other boy simply nodded and began walking back towards town, making no attempt to identify himself. Nothing but curiosity drove Two-Bit after him, but he had a feeling this lunch would be productive. He hoped so, anyways. He needed something good to focus on.

ooooo

The restaurant was packed, loud and cheerful on a Friday night, so they were in no danger of being overheard. The other boy had chosen a corner booth, strategically out of the way and quiet. Two-Bit wasn't exactly sure what to make of him so far. He knew more than Two-Bit could understand and seemed completely unsurprised by the entire thing. In fact, he seemed to expect the answers Two-Bit was giving him. It was beginning to irritate him.

"So how did you know it was Brumly behind the crash," Two-Bit asked, confused. "They didn't write that in no paper and I sure as hell didn't tell nobody."

The stranger held up a hand, shaking his head. "Didn't have to. I just knew."

"Care to explain _how_?"

"Buddy of mine was in with them too," he began, his voice low and gravelly. "They ended up fuckin' him over pretty good, too. He joined up to keep an eye on his friend. 'Cept he got in a lot deeper than he intended. Brumly's got a way of doin' that, don't they?"

Two barked out a short laugh. "You can say that again."

The other boy glanced around before continuing. "Well he got the point that he wanted out. Not to mention the buddy he joined up to watch out for had gotten in, but he liked it. He watched his own friend change right in front of him. He didn't want nothin' to do with 'em anymore. What my friend didn't know was they didn't want nothin' to do with him neither."

"I'm not sure I follow," Two-Bit interjected, frowning.

The stranger nodded. "Confusing shit, isn't it. Long story short, they set 'im up. Brumly and this guy's friend set him up. They made it look like they wanted him to go run an errand for them, but he wasn't gonna come back from it. Sent the big guy, Ralph, out there. The kid, Craig, and another guy. The one he got in it to watch out for. His friend. He helped set him up and he was gonna help kill 'im."

"Gary?"

It was the other guy's turn to laugh, an eerily familiar sound. "That lug didn't have no friends. No, this guy was an undercover member. They kept real quiet about his jobs. Barely anybody knew he was in with them. Funny thing, Mathews. He's _still_ in with 'em. Tell me, who all did you meet when you went to meeting's with these boys?"

Two-Bit quickly listed the names, rattling them all off. The stranger was nodding, his grin reappearing. "You missed one. You missed a big one and you didn't even know it. Hate to tell you, Mathews, but you've been set up. Just like my buddy was. You got fucked over, big time."

"You got proof?"

"Proof? Your girl is dead, Mathews. Her brother is missin'. You got involved with Brumly. You don't think there might be a common link between the three groups? C'mon, think real hard. What one thing did they all have in common? Better yet, what one _person_."

Despite his growing irritation, Two-Bit did think. What _did_ the three of them have in common besides the obvious? It had to tie in with the secret Brumly member, he reasoned, or else the kid wouldn't have brought it up. But who could that be? And then it hit him. The one person that had been friends with every one of them. The one person that he had told every damn thing to. The one person that had fucked them all over.

"I'll be goddamned."

The stranger nodded, excitement lighting up his dark eyes. "Exactly. Now you get it. Now you see. It was Mac the entire time, man."

Two-Bit felt like he'd been hit by a load of bricks and then run over by the truck that had been carrying the bricks. His friend. He'd confided in the guy. He'd trusted him. _Joanie_ had trusted him. He'd set her up. He had set them both up.

"That fuckin' jerk," he growled out, his fists clenching. "I'll fuckin' rip his head off."

"Easy, slugger," the guy muttered, holding his hands up. "I got a plan of my own."

Sneering, Two-Bit said, "Yeah I'll bet."

He realized Two-Bit didn't believe him, so he reached down and pulled his jacket back, revealing the shining silver of a heater in his waistband. One minute he saw it and the next, it was gone. I'll be damned, Two thought again.

"Like I said, I got a plan of my own, man. See it turns out, they didn't kill my friend. They tried. They tried real hard. Beat the ever-lovin' shit outta him with a tire iron and their fists. Threw him in a river up by Maple Ridge. But he survived. He's been hidin' out, waiting for the right time to hit. Now's lookin' like the right time."

"Shoulda got off his ass and done it sooner," Two-Bit spat. "Bonnie would be awake and Joanie would be alive."

Pain flickered in the dark eyes and he nodded. "You could be right. And for that, I'm sorry. You don't know how sorry I am. How sorry _he_ is."

"Ya know, I don't think I caught your name earlier," he mentioned, sipping his beer as he watched the stranger in front of him.

The guy turned his gaze upon Two-Bit and a smirk slowly appeared on his scarred face. "No, you didn't. Don't think I mentioned it."

Two-Bit stayed quiet, watching him carefully and waiting for the stranger to speak again. Sighing, he complied.

"You interested in helpin' me out, Mathews? Helpin' my buddy out, indirectly. It's a big job and I'm not sure it's suited for just one guy."

Two-Bit set his beer down and leaned forward, elbows on the table. "Well excuse my manners, but I usually make a point of knowin' who I'm workin' for. And I ain't too keen on bein' someone elses bitch after the entire Brumly situation. So just who the hell are you?"

And it wasn't until the guy opened his mouth to talk that Two-Bit realized just who he was looking at. He might have known it the whole time. Two-Bit sucked in a deep breath and stared intensely at the boy in front of him, the same boy that had stared back at him from so many picture frames.

"I'm David."

* * *

**A/N:** And that's all she wrote.

A very special thank you to those of you who reviewed each chapter. Your reviews got this story finished and I dedicate it to you.

Let your imaginations run wild with possibilities.

My inspiration is quite lacking, so I might not have anything new on here for a short while. Watch my profile for any news. And as always, many thanks.

-Independence Undervalued.


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